President Donald Trump has done all he can, and the fate of the GOP healthcare bill is up to the House lawmakers, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Friday.
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SPICER: Trump 'left everything on the field' for GOP Obamacare replacement
Sean Spicer said that Trump has done all he can to win over Republicans to vote for the American Health Care Act.
Sean Spicer
During his daily press briefing, Spicer said Trump has worked hard at lobbying for the American Health Care Act, the Republican legislation designed to repeal and replace Obamacare.
"The president has been working throughout the week on this, calling starting early in the morning and going until late at night, calling members, visiting members," Spicer said. "By our count as many as 120 members have personally had a visit or call or a meeting here at the White House in the last few days, which is an extraordinary feat."
The press secretary said, however, that Trump was meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan on the future of the bill and that the president can't "force anyone to vote" for it.
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"There's no question in my mind at least that the president and the team here have left everything on the field," Spicer said. "We have called every member that has had a question or concern. Tried to take, if possible, any ideas that would strengthen the bill and it's now going to be up to the members of the House to decide whether they want to follow through on their promise" of repealing Obamacare.
Spicer's comments came as concerns grew that GOP leadership does not have enough votes to pass the AHCA in the House. According to the latest count from the New York Times, 33 House Republicans have publicly stated they will vote against the bill. Republicans can only lose 22 votes for the bill to pass.
Spicer told reporters that the vote will go forward at 3:30 p.m. ET, despite reports that GOP leaders were considering pulling the bill.
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