Rep. Chris Collins: Health care bill will pass by one vote

Rep. Chris Collins on Wednesday said proponents of the House GOP bill repealing parts of Obamacare are still six votes short of securing passage but predicted the measure will pass by a single vote.

“We’ve got 210 people locked in - we need 216,” Mr. Collins, New York Republican, told radio host John Fredericks.

“I think we’ll get it by one vote, because I think there may be some arm-twisting where someone says I don’t want to vote for it, but I am on the team…if you need my vote I’ll do it, but if you don’t I won’t,” he said.

“When it passes - and I believe it will - it’ll pass by one vote,” he said. “If somebody doesn’t have to, they’ll vote no…it’ll be a one-vote victory any which way you look at it.”

Mr. Collins, a top ally of President Trump, ripped hardline conservative members who have indicated they will not support the legislation.

“They’re about to torpedo our entire party and the presidency of Donald J. Trump,” he said.

“I’m just frustrated, as are many of my other fellow Republicans here, and I just hope they see the light or there’s enough arm-twisting that they come on board,” he said.

“It’s a binary choice. It’s not changing,” he said. “If this goes down Thursday, it’s not coming back. How could it come back?”

“If you satisfy one Freedom Caucus member, you lose three other members,” he said.

“Their competition comes from the right, not from the left,” he said. “If they torpedo the repeal of Obamacare, I think they’ll all get primaried and lose.”

“What are they going to do? They’re going to stand up and say hey, I voted to keep Obamacare. That’s what their vote is,” he said.