House Speaker Paul Ryan tried to offer a robust defense of the House plan to repeal and replace part of Obamacare, but declined to say if the bill could pass the House as is Wednesday.
“It’s not coming up this afternoon,” Ryan told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “The Lead.” “It’s going through the legislative process. That legislative process has not been finalized. That’s, no offense, that’s kind of a goofy question or faulty premise because this goes through four committees. We’ve gone through two so far.”
Ryan has been under heavy criticism from conservatives and major interest groups as well as a Congressional Budget Office report that said the bill would lead to 24 million people losing health insurance coverage.
The bill goes before the House Budget Committee Thursday.
Ryan maintained that he and President Donald Trump were still on the same page in support of the American Health Care Act, despite conservatives actively lobbying the President to make changes.
“We’re working hand in glove with the White House,” Ryan said. “The President is all in on this.”
