Ryan: ObamaCare replacement bill still needs work, but likely to pass soon

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Exclusive: Paul Ryan on efforts to repeal, replace ObamaCare

Speaker of the House weighs in on 'Fox News Sunday'

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Sunday that Republicans’ ObamaCare replacement bill remains set for a final vote this week but acknowledged members are still “fine tuning” the measure.

“I think Thursday is most likely the day to bring it forward,” the Wisconsin Republican told “Fox News Sunday.” “We are still having conversations with our members. We are making fine-tuning improvements to the bill to reflect people's concerns, to reflect people's improvements.”

As he has said since introducing the bill earlier this month, Ryan expressed confidence Sunday about having the requisite 218 votes in the GOP-controlled House to send the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate.

“I feel very good about it, actually,” Ryan said. “It’s exactly where we want to be.”

He repeatedly lauded President Trump’s effort to garner support among congressional Republicans.

“I’m very impressed with how the president is helping us close this bill … getting the votes,” Ryan said. “The president has become a great closer. He’s the one who has helped negotiate the changes in this bill with members from all over our caucus.”

Among them are fiscal conservatives who say the ObamaCare repeal effort doesn’t go far enough to dismantle the 2010 health care law and those who fear it won’t provide enough Americans with adequate and affordable insurance policies.

Ryan said Sunday that the bill still must go before the House Rules Committee before a final vote.

He also said the changes now being made include those from the House Budget committee, one of three chamber panels that has already voted in favor of the bill, titled the American Health Care Act.

Ryan also acknowledged that he’s making final adjustments on parts of the bills, through a special amendment, to increase tax credits for lower-income and older people and to allow states to impose a work requirement for able-bodied Medicaid recipients and to accept a fixed block grant for Medicaid.

“Those are all things that we are working,” he said. “We are making sure that we get all the language right.”