Leader of GOP moderate group in House quits over AHCA split

May 23 (UPI) -- A leader of the Republicans' moderate House caucus announced Monday he's resigning from the post, mainly due to divisions within the group as they relate to the American Health Care Act.

Rep. Tom McArthur, R-N.J., helped create the AHCA to replace the Affordable Care Act, but now says he's seen too much splitting among lawmakers in the Tuesday Group -- which is comprised of the party's moderate lawmakers in the lower chamber.

"You can't lead people where they don't want to go," MacArthur told Politico on Tuesday. "I think some people in the group just have a different view of what governing is."

"Clearly, our group is divided," he added. "Many in the Tuesday Group are eager to live up to our ideal of being problem-solvers, while others seem unwilling to compromise."

McArthur, who plans to remain a member of the group, handed over leadership effective immediately.

House Republicans' effort to get the AHCA passed has been met with stiff resistance. The first effort at passing the bill failed because there weren't enough GOP votes to back it. A second, and heavily amended, version narrowly passed the House earlier this month.

More than half of the "nay" votes on AHCA came from the Tuesday Group, McArthur said. Many analysts expect the AHCA to fail in the Senate, where it could again fail to find necessary support.

McArthur announced his plans to resign at a meeting of the group Tuesday. He told House Speaker Paul Ryan, the chamber's top Republican, a short time later.

It is unclear who will succeed McArthur in the co-chair post.

"This unwillingness to engage with members of our own party is unacceptable to me," he said.