The Latest: McConnell says Senate won't take up 'Obamacare'

The Latest: McConnell says Senate won't take up 'Obamacare'


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on House Republicans and health care, tax cuts and other issues (all times local):

2:35 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says "Obamacare" will stay in place after House Republicans failed to pass an alternative last week.

McConnell indicated there are no plans in the Senate take up the issue.

The Kentucky Republican told reporters Tuesday that "It's pretty obvious we were not able in the House to pass a replacement. Our Democratic friends ought to be pretty happy about that because we have the existing law in place and I think we're just going to have to see how that works out."

House Speaker Paul Ryan insisted earlier that they would still try to repeal "Obamacare."

But McConnell said: "I want to thank the president and the speaker, they went all-out to try to pass repeal and replacement, sorry that didn't work."

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11:30 a.m.

Speaker Paul Ryan says next month's governmentwide funding bill should not get ensnared with a fight over taking federal money away from Planned Parenthood.

The Wisconsin Republican says "defunding" Planned Parenthood belongs on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That legislation failed in the House last week but Ryan says it's more suitable since it addresses the organization's eligibility for Medicaid reimbursements.

The idea to attach Planned Parenthood funding to the larger bill and risk a government shutdown has been the subject of media speculation but no GOP leader had displayed any enthusiasm for it.

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11:10 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says his chamber will take another crack at a health care overhaul.

But he's offering no timeline, and no details about how leaders would overcome GOP divisions that sunk their bill Friday. That retreat was a humiliating setback for President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.

Ryan spoke Tuesday after House Republicans met for the first time since he sidetracked his party's health care legislation just before a scheduled House vote. The measure was destined for defeat because of GOP opposition.

Republican lawmakers say there's a consensus to keep working on health care.

Conservatives say it didn't repeal enough of President Barack Obama's 2010 law. Moderates say it takes coverage away from too many people.

Ryan says Republicans would try working out their differences over the measure.

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10:25 a.m.

A member of the House Freedom Caucus says he will force the House to vote on a full repeal of former President Barack Obama's health care law in a month if the chamber hasn't acted to roll back the statute.

Alabama Republican Mo Brooks also said Speaker Paul Ryan indicated the House would revisit the issue and that it would be "fairly immediate."

Brooks spoke after divided House Republicans met to discuss strategy. Four days ago, Ryan abruptly canceled a vote on a GOP bill annulling much of Obama's law.

That bill faced certain defeat due to Republican opponents, including the conservative Freedom Caucus. Brooks wants a vote on a measure that goes further in repealing Obama's overhaul.

Ryan's move was a jolting setback for himself and President Donald Trump.

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3:30 a.m.

Congressional Republicans want to pivot to tax cuts and other issues following last week's House health care debacle.

But the party remains riven into factions. And they're all over the map about how and when to return to their marquee pledge to eviscerate former President Barack Obama's 2010 health overhaul.

House Republicans are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss their agenda. It's their first gathering since House Speaker Paul Ryan suddenly abandoned plans last Friday for a vote on the GOP legislation.

The retreat on the party's top legislative priority was a jarring defeat for President Donald Trump and Republican leaders. It also raised questions about whether the GOP could muster the unity needed on other issues.

Republicans have issued mixed messages on what comes next on health care.

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