For Mr. McConnell, cutting taxes is a much higher priority than health care, which time and President Trump have turned into quicksand for him and his fellow Republicans. Just hours after the presentation of the Senate health care bill, Mr. McConnell met with Speaker Paul D. Ryan and White House officials to talk taxes. Mr. McConnell is not fond of bringing bills to the floor that he does not think can pass. But Mr. McConnell and senators are generally more resistant to pressure from the White House and will keep their own interests in mind. In his 2016 memoir, “The Long Game,” he noted that, as minority leader, he went out of his way to make sure that one party owned the health care issue.

Source: New York Times June 22, 2017 19:51 UTC