Republicans fear fallout after ‘epic fail’ on health

Failure to repeal Obamacare has exposed the fault lines in the US party, write Stephen Peoples and Thomas Beaumont

Weary Republicans in Washington may be ready to move on from health care, but conservatives across the US are warning the Republican-led Congress not to abandon its pledge to repeal the Obama-era health law — or risk a political nightmare in next year’s elections.

The US Senate’s failure this past week to pass repeal legislation has outraged the Republican base and triggered a new wave of fear. The stunning collapse has exposed a party so paralysed by ideological division that it could not deliver on its top campaign pledge.