House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday attributed the disagreement among Republicans over the party's plans to repeal and replace Obamacare as "typical growing pains."
In an appearance on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Ryan said the GOP is making the adjustment of going "from being an opposition party fighting Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid to a governing party."
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus immediately slammed the GOP bill because they say it does not go far enough in replacing the Affordable Care Act passed by Democrats in 2010.
Ryan reiterated the position of GOP leadership the repeal and replacement will be made in three phases. The first phase introduced this week will use the budget reconciliation process, which requires only a 51-vote majority to pass the Senate. The other aspects will require 60 votes, and Republicans have only 52 members in the Senate.
"We would do all of these things if we could without getting a filibuster," Ryan said. "We don't want to jeopardize this bill and to make it subject to a filibuster, which means we can't do anything."
Ryan also defended Republicans in Congress against complaints they haven't spent enough time trying to enact the laws they and President Donald Trump were elected to pass.
Carlson charged Congress has been in session less than half the time since they began in January and are scheduled to meet only eight days in April.
Ryan countered Republicans are "producing a lot" and many of the House's bills already are backed up in the Senate because Democrats are slowing things down with procedural techniques to keep Trump's nominees from being confirmed in a timely manner.
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