Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), the lawmaker who authored the amendment that made the AHCA more palatable to the House GOP, resigned Tuesday from his post as co-chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group caucus.
Rep. MacArthur cited his recent role in brokering a compromise on the AHCA legislation as the prime driver for his resignation.
Politico reports that Rep. MacArthur alienated some of his fellow moderate Republicans colleagues by securing party agreement on healthcare reform with the conservative Freedom Caucus. His resignation comes weeks after The Hill reported on attempts by some GOP colleagues to oust him for crafting a deal on the replacement bill with the Freedom Caucus, which has about three dozen members.
Some of MacArthur's colleagues quietly pressured him behind the scenes to step down, whereas others said they were so upset with him that they had stopped speaking with him entirely, The Hill reports.
"You cannot lead people where they don't want to go," Rep. MacArthur told Politico. "I just didn't see this being resolved. What I foresaw was, the next time I want to negotiate with the Freedom Caucus on an issue or with any other group here, it was going to rankle some people, and I'm not looking to be a divisive figure."
Rep. MacArthur plans to remain a member of the Tuesday Group, leaving two remaining co-chairs.