Paul Ryan says "I would not bet against Mitch McConnell" on health care bill
Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that the House is waiting to see what the Senate produces on the health care bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
"We just don't know what the final bill is going to look like so all of our members are just waiting and seeing what the Senate does," the Wisconsin Republican told reporters during a press conference when asked if he's taking the temperature of his members on the Senate bill. "Our members are just waiting to see in a constructive way what the Senate can produce and then we'll make a decision after they do that."
Ryan expressed confidence that Senate Republicans will eventually get a health care measure through the upper chamber.
"I would not bet against Mitch McConnell," Ryan said. "They'll get this done and I believe they'll get it done because they said they'll get it done."
Ryan admitted that the reconciliation system is "a little frustrating," but that's the budget tool that allows Republicans to pass certain bills in the Senate with a simple majority instead of a supermajority.
The House and Senate are currently scheduled to leave Washington later this week for their week-long July 4 recess, but if the Senate somehow passes its bill, the House could potentially stay on Capitol Hill past Friday to embrace the momentum.
The House could take up the Senate's version, but it could be even more challenging getting it through the House because of objections from the conservative Freedom Caucus. Alternatively, the House and Senate could also reconcile their two measures and reach bicameral agreement that would then have to be voted on in both chambers.
But chances of the measure passing in the Senate remain slim. Six Senate Republicans oppose the bill and several of them have said they would vote against a procedural motion to advance the legislation. Assuming all Democrats vote against it, three Republican defections would prevent a final vote. If that happens, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, however, could call the bill up for a vote at a later time.
CBS News' Catherine Reynolds contributed to this report.
