House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Saturday urged Republican members of Congress to focus on keeping the government from shutting down, and offered few specifics about a new health care bill, according to a report by the Washington Post.
Speaking to members of the Republican Party on a call Saturday, Ryan urged lawmakers to prioritize the passage of a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed Republican aides who were on the call.
Ryan told members that the House will vote on revised health care legislation when Republicans are sure they will be able to corral enough votes to pass it, the same aides told the Washington Post, though Ryan offered no timetable or plan for sharing that proposal.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump told reporters that he wanted Congress to vote on “both” a spending bill and revised health care legislation by the end of next week.
“I think we want to keep the government open, don’t you agree?” Trump said. “I think we’ll get both.”
On Friday, however, Trump walked that timetable back, saying there was “no particular rush.”
“It’ll happen. You’ll see what happens,” he said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s next week. Next week, doesn’t matter.”
It’s clear Ryan has no control over his caucus. None. He should have spent less time mocking Pelosi and more time watching how she got the job done as leader.
This will most likely never happen, but if Paul Ryan had any smarts whatsoever, he would invite Nancy Pelosi to meet with him and propose a political truce to see if moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans can find a way to work together for the benefit of the American People. What a novel concept! There was a time when Congress worked that way. . . . But that was a long time ago.
Oh well, I have always been a dreamer. This will never happen. But it could if Ryan, Pelosi, and their colleagues had any guts.
Repubs got an A+ in obstruction, but now they get an F in governing. Sad.
And Trump gets an F- for leadership and an “extra unsatisfactory” for effort.
Waiting for the pundits to tell us what a go-getter the supposed policy wonk is.