Ryan ‘Disappointed And Frustrated’ At O’Care Repeal Failure In Senate

UNITED STATES - JULY 27: Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., leaves his weekly on camera press conference in the Capitol on Thursday, July 27, 2017. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images)
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House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Friday morning that he was “disappointed and frustrated” at the Senate’s failure to repeal Obamacare after the House passed its own version of a repeal in May.

“We were sent to Washington to fulfill the pledges we made to our constituents,” Ryan said in a statement. “While the House delivered a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, unfortunately the Senate was unable to reach a consensus.”

“I am disappointed and frustrated, but we should not give up,” he continued. “I encourage the Senate to continue working toward a real solution that keeps our promise. We have so much work still to do, and the House will continue to focus on issues that are important to the American people. At the top of that list is cutting taxes for middle class families and fixing our broken tax code. I’m glad that members will now take time to hear directly from those they represent and make the case for historic tax reform that we intend to pursue in the fall.”

Senate Republicans attempted on Thursday night to gather enough votes to pass a measure that they themselves did not want to become law. Rather, they planned on using the bill as a vehicle to get to a conference with the House, where the real legislation would be penned.

Ryan, however, made no guarantee to Senate Republicans that House Republicans wouldn’t simply pass the Senate’s bill as-is.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), whose “no” vote doomed the Senate’s bill, had earlier on Thursday appeared at a press conference with Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), in which he said he would withhold his support for the bill unless Ryan assured him the House would send it to a conference.

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