House Republican: ObamaCare repeal timing up to Senate GOP

A House GOP lawmaker says timing of an ObamaCare repeal measure depends on his colleagues in the Senate.

“There’s no reason it can’t be out of the House fairly soon,” Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) told The Hill. “Whether it is going to pass the Senate is going to depend largely on Senate Republicans — are they willing to reform their cloture rule?”

{mosads}

President Trump this week walked back his earlier pronouncement that the GOP would have a bill ready to go shortly after he took office, to say he might not have a measure to sign until next year.

A handful of House Republicans, including McClintock, believe that tax reform can move more swiftly through both chambers.

“We’re at a national inflection point and we have basically this year to get it done — my preference and my prediction is that this is done by August on the tax side and I think it’s entirely possible,” Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) said in an interview.

With a long to-do list including the Obamacare repeal and tax reform, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) says Trump and Congress move at a different pace.

“There’s a lot of things moving — I think President Trump is a very ambitious guy and he wants to get things done, and this place isn’t used to getting things done in a fast way,” Cole says.

Watch the video above to hear the lawmakers in their own words.