Politics

Congressmen face growing pressure from voters on GOP health-care bill

Constituents react after U.S. Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ 7) responded to questions during a town hall event at the Edward Nash Theater on the campus of Raritan Valley Community College on February 25, 2017 in Branchburg, New Jersey. Protesters have been showing up in large numbers to congressional town hall meetings across the nation.
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Republican lawmakers are caught between a rock and a hard place: A White House that wants a health care win, and constituents who don't want changes to their health care.

That debate is on fully display as House Republicans get closer to a vote on the legislation.

Rep. Ted Yoho told CNBC on Thursday that of the 1,800 calls from voters he's received in the last 48 hours, only about 30 were in favor of the GOP plan. The Florida Republican said he will vote "no" on the bill, because it doesn't fully repeal Obamacare.

A Quinnipiac University poll revealed that just 17 percent of voters support the bill and that 46 percent say they will be less likely to vote for their U.S. senator or congressman if they vote for the GOP replacement plan.

The vote was originally scheduled for Thursday evening, but was postponed after GOP leaders failed to rally enough support to pass the bill.

Demonstrators have turned up at their representatives' town halls to air their concerns about a number of issues, including the GOP's American Health Care Act.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows, R-NC, said that the GOP would need "another 30 to 40 votes" for the measure. Meadows said he would need to see evidence that "this bill reduces premiums significantly enough" before they are willing to back the plan.

— CNBC's Dan Mangan contributed reporting.