Rouzer reacts to AHCA being pulled

WASHINGTON (WECT/AP) - Congressman David Rouzer released a statement following the decision to pull the American Health Care Act from the House floor on Friday afternoon.

"Today, the House of Representatives fell short of finding 216 votes necessary to repeal and replace as much of Obamacare as allowable under the rules of Budget Reconciliation," said Rouzer, who represents North Carolina's Seventh District. "It's my hope that House and Senate Republicans will eventually be able to unite behind a repeal and replacement plan. Only then will we be able to steer the country clear of the growing disaster that Obamacare is."

Earlier this week, Rouzer indicated that he was going to vote in favor of the health care bill.

It was a stunning defeat for the new president after he had demanded House Republicans vote on the legislation Friday, threatening to leave "Obamacare" in place and move on to other issues if the vote failed. The bill was withdrawn minutes before the vote was to occur.

The president's gamble failed. Instead Trump, who campaigned as a master deal-maker and claimed that he alone could fix the nation's health care system, saw his ultimatum rejected by Republican lawmakers who made clear they answer to their own voters, not to the president.

Copyright 2017 WECT. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.