GOP torn over what to do next

[Jimbo101]

The Hill

Days after the GOP’s healthcare effort crashed and burned, House Republicans are vowing to give it another shot until they “get it right.”

They seem, though, to be largely on their own.

President Trump is publicly signaling he wants to move on to tax reform and maybe team up with Democrats on something bipartisan, such as an infrastructure package.

The GOP-controlled Senate is focused on trying to get Neil Gorsuch confirmed to the Supreme Court and appears to have little interest in another healthcare war.

The ­ObamaCare “status quo” will “go forward, regretfully,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday.

The public statements show that GOP leaders are on different pages days after the historic blowup of their years-long effort to repeal and replace ­ObamaCare.

The failure means Republicans, nearly 70 days into Trump’s presidency, are still desperately searching for their first big legislative victory of 2017.

Veteran Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) has said the party just needs to show it can accomplish basic government tasks such as passing appropriations bills and keeping the government’s lights on — a topic of increasing urgency as Congress faces an April 28 deadline to avoid a federal shutdown.

Asked whether Republicans should try again on healthcare or move on to tax reform, Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) enthusiastically shouted: “Infrastructure!”

In the immediate aftermath of the healthcare bill’s demise on Friday, Ryan said Republicans were moving on from their repeal efforts and that ­ObamaCare would remain the law of the land for the “foreseeable future.”

By Tuesday, however, rank-and-file Republicans signaled a desire to change course.

[TNLib]

1. Why do I have a feeling that deadline won't be met?

The GOP seems so incompetent they can't even do the basics. I really think the tea party ushered in a bunch of imbeciles and now it's their turn to govern, they can't.