Even as Day 100 Nears, Don't Expect Obamacare to Get Repealed Yet

It’s the beginning of a big week for Washington. Congress returns from recess while the Trump administration prepares for its 100th day on Saturday. The campaign had made much of this initial period of a Trump presidency, releasing a "Contract with the American Voter" before the election that outlined a "100-day action plan to Make America Great Again."

President Trump himself is now downplaying the 100-day marker as an "artificial barrier" and "not very meaningful." That's the smart play since, for starters, it happens to be true. Secondly, the president hasn't accomplished much of his proposed 100-day agenda, and he isn't likely to do that this week. So best to lower expectations and emphasize the areas where the administration believes they have been successful: the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, the federal hiring freeze, and a fruitful summit with Chinese president Xi Jinping, among others.

But a week is a long time in the Trump presidency, and the final week of the first 100 days—with a federal funding deadline approaching on Friday and members of Congress returning to Washington with fresh urgency following meetings with their constituents—could turn out like each of the previous 13: unpredictable and never according to plan.

Don't Count on Obamacare Repeal This Week

Despite a recent push by some in the White House to try to pass an Obamacare repeal bill again this week, one administration official admits to me what Republicans on Capitol Hill have been saying for days: It's not going to happen before Day 100.

There's been a change in attitude on health-care legislation within the White House, more patient and understanding of the complexity of the issue—and how long it may take to pass a bill. At the same time, the administration knows what GOP House members are hearing from constituents and from donors. The pressure will be on the Republican conference to reach a consensus on health care as the midterm elections begin to peer above the horizon.