After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would postpone a vote on a bill to repeal Obamacare, a group of stunned Republican lawmakers went to the White House Tuesday afternoon to air their grievances -- and chart a path forward -- with President Donald Trump.
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For weeks, Republicans have been publicly and privately admonishing the way their health care bill was crafted. Many accused leadership of moving too quickly. Others criticized the fact the Senate hadn't held a single hearing on the bill. But, Tuesday's announcement was still a rare setback for McConnell -- an applauded Senate tactician -- who has pushed his party to fall in line countless times before.
But after years of promising to repeal Obamacare on the campaign trail, it was five Republican senators this week who blocked the bill from even coming to the Senate floor for debate.
"Look, there's more work that needs to be done. I think it's pretty obvious at this point," Idaho Republican Jim Risch said. "If there's more work to be done, you shouldn't try to light the fire before it's ready to be lit."
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"I'll just speak for myself. I mean, I'm reading the CBO report at 4 a.m. It came out yesterday afternoon. I was busy until late last night," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee. "Not frustration, but you know that there's almost no way for the questions that you have to be legitimately answered."