The Latest: Trump says health care passage will be ‘tough’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Republican legislation to repeal and replace the Obama health care law (all times local):

12:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump says getting approval of a Senate health care bill will be "very tough." But he predicts that Republicans will at least "get very close" and may "get it over the line."

Speaking at the White House Wednesday, Trump said his meeting with most of the Republican senators Tuesday was "tremendous."

The Senate delayed its consideration of the measure vote until after the July 4 holiday after failing to get the minimum number of votes needed to begin debate.

He says, "I think we are at least going to get very close or get it over the line."

Trump says it's "always tough" to pass a health care bill because the needs of every state are different, but he added, "I think health care is going to be great."

11:05 a.m.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says the labor organization is running ad and social media campaigns in five key states kill the stalled Senate health care bill outright.

Trumka told reporters in a conference call Wednesday that the bill would deprive millions of working people of health insurance. The federation is running thousands of ads to pressure Senate Republicans in Alaska, Ohio, West Virginia, Nevada and Maine. He is urging Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to join other Republicans in opposing the bill.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell postponed consideration of the bill the after it failed to get enough GOP support to even begin debate. He said majority Republicans want to try again later in July.

7:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump is taking issue with a New York Times story that portrays him as disengaged in the push for the Senate Republican health care bill.

Early Wednesday, Trump tweeted that "The failing @nytimes writes false story after false story about me."

Trump added: "Some of the Fake News Media likes to say that I am not totally engaged in healthcare. Wrong, I know the subject well & want victory for U.S."

The Times, in its Wednesday editions, said Trump was less involved in the press for the Senate bill than with the earlier House bill — making fewer phone calls to senators, for instance.

The newspaper said an unidentified senator who supports the bill left a meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday "with a sense that the president did not have a grasp of some basic elements of the Senate plan."

4:19 a.m.

The Republican Party's long-promised repeal of "Obamacare" stands in limbo after Senate GOP leaders, short of support, abruptly shelved a vote on legislation aimed at redeeming the pledge.

The surprise development leaves the legislation's fate uncertain while raising new doubts about whether President Donald Trump will ever make good on his many promises to erase his predecessor's signature legislative achievement.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced the delay Tuesday after it became clear the votes weren't there to advance the legislation past key procedural hurdles.