Eric Cantor
Uh oh. Trying to move from their endless attempts to repeal Obamacare, House Republicans seem to be in a bit of disarray over an attempt to "fix" it. If they can't pull together enough support to pass the bill, they
may cancel the vote. Eric Cantor's pride looks to be on the line here:
Cantor (R-Va.) announced a vote on the bill last Thursday, well before GOP leadership surveyed its members to see if the bill had the support to pass, according to Republicans involved in the process.
But there's a disagreement over whether it's most effective to attack Obamacare by constantly voting to repeal it or by voting to change it in unproductive ways, and the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation are opposed to this bill. That means Cantor's pride is likely in for some bruising no matter what—either the vote he announced gets canceled or the bill he's been supporting gets voted down.
Canceling a vote on a bill that may not pass the House, won't pass the Senate, and that the Obama administration says the president would likely veto is an unusually sensible move for House Republican leadership, though. Maybe they're looking to clear the voting schedule for important things like this:
Actual bill in House today --> To specify size of precious metal blanks used in production of Natl Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins
— @jbendery via Twitter for iPhone
Also on the schedule for many House Republicans: a field trip to Dallas for the opening of George W. Bush's presidential library.