Vote delayed as GOP struggles to marshal support for health care Bill

McConell can afford to lose only 2 of the 52 Republican senators for different reasons

Facing intransigent Republican opposition, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, on Tuesday delayed a vote on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, dealing another setback to Republicans’ seven-year effort to dismantle the health law and setting up a long, heated summer of health care battles.

McConnell faced resistance from across his conference, not only from the most moderate and conservative senators but from others as well. Had he pressed forward this week, he almost surely would have lacked the votes even to begin debate on the Bill.

“We will not be on the Bill this week, but we’re still working toward