Trump won’t get House OK of health bill before his 100th day but avoids shut down — at least for another week

President Donald Trump seems destined to serve his 100th day in office without House passage of a major Republican health care bill or enactment of a budget financing the government for the rest of this year. But at least the government probably won’t be shut down – for at least another week.

The House won’t vote on a reworked health care overhaul until at least next week, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, told reporters late on Thursday. Party leaders made that decision after spending all day pressuring moderate Republican lawmakers to back that bill, but fell short of the votes they’d need to prevail.

“As soon as we have the votes, we’ll vote on it,” McCarthy said after leaving a nearly two-hour meeting of the House Republican leadership.

He ruled out votes on Friday or Saturday – which is Trump’s 100th day in the White House. That was a disappointment for the administration, whose officials had pressured House leaders all week to try completing the health measure by Saturday.

McCarthy also said Republicans would push through the House Friday a short-term spending bill keeping the government open for at least another week. They plan to pass it with only Republican votes, if necessary. Minority Democrats are threatening to withhold support unless there is a bipartisan deal on a massive US$1 trillion measure funding agencies through September 30, when the current fiscal year ends, and no final agreement has been reached.