DAY 63: TRUMP FAILS: Republicans had to postpone voting Trumpcare in Congress for lack of votes

Even though Donald Trump met with Republican legislators yesterday and today to try to convince them to vote for Trumpcare (since many Republicans oppose it), he could not get enough votes to pass the bill in the House of Representatives and, as a result, Republicans had to postpone its vote.

What's interesting is the fact that on Wednesday, March 22, Trump pretty much threatened Republicans with losing their seats in the House in 2018 if they didn't vote for the bill. But more than 30 Republicans still said no either because they want a full repeal of the law (Trumpcare only eliminates some parts of Obamacare) or because they fear Trumpcare will affect negatively their constituents with higher insurance premiums and lost Medicaid coverage.

As a result, Trump agreed to something he didn't want to do originally: he agreed to a modification of the so-called American Health Care Act that removed the 10 Essential Benefits from Obamacare. That means insurers would no longer be required to provide maternity care, emergency care, mental health care, addiction care, or birth control. Trump agreed to this in order to convince the most conservative Republicans.

Oh, and he also made a tax cut for the rich --by repealing some taxes in the ACA-- retroactive to January 1, 2017.

And still, today Trump could still not get enough Republicans to vote for Trumpcare.

Which begs the question: Wasn't Trump supposed to be the "master negotiator"? Didn't he write a book on "the art of the deal"?

Well, at this point Trump could not scare the Republicans into passing the law. Also, he conceeded on something he didn't want to conceede, and still he could not convince enough Republicans to vote for Trumpcare. At least for now.