Trump says GOP won’t give up on health care: ‘We will return!’
President Trump is blaming the failure of the bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Democrats and “a few Republicans,” vowing that lawmakers will “come together and do a great” health care plan.
“We were let down by all of the Democrats and a few Republicans,” the president tweeted early Tuesday. “Most Republicans were loyal, terrific & worked really hard. We will return!”
Trump added: “As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!”
We were let down by all of the Democrats and a few Republicans. Most Republicans were loyal, terrific & worked really hard. We will return!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
Trump also complained that despite their minority status in Congress, Democrats wield enough power to create havoc for Republicans.
With only a very small majority, the Republicans in the House & Senate need more victories next year since Dems totally obstruct, no votes!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
The Senate must go to a 51 vote majority instead of current 60 votes. Even parts of full Repeal need 60. 8 Dems control Senate. Crazy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
The president’s tweets came hours after two more Republican senators — Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas — announced their opposition to the legislation. Because two previous GOP senators also opposed the bill, the legislation in its current form was effectively dead.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell conceded that the effort to alter President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was a failure.
Instead, McConnell said the GOP will now try to pass a so-called clean Obamacare repeal bill that Republicans approved in 2015 but Obama vetoed. The plan announced by McConnell includes a two-year delay that McConnell said would give Republicans time to come up with a suitable replacement.
Shortly after being elected president, Trump said the repeal and replacement of Obamacare would be done simultaneously.
“We’re not going to have, like, a two-day period and we’re not going to have a two-year period where there’s nothing,” Trump said in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” which aired on Nov. 13, 2016. “It will be repealed and replaced.”
But on Twitter late Monday, Trump signaled his support for such an effort, claiming Democrats would support it too.
“Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate,” the president wrote. “Dems will join in!”
Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
However, Trump’s tweet on Tuesday saying Republicans should allow Obamacare to fail on its own is a return to the message he issued in March when the House GOP abruptly canceled a scheduled vote on its initial health care bill after failing to gather enough Republican support.
“I’ve been saying for the last year and a half that the best thing we could do, politically speaking, is let Obamacare explode,” Trump said at the time. “It is exploding right now.”
A few days later, though, Trump said he had “no doubt” that health care reform “is going to happen very quickly.”
“That’s such an easy one,” the president said.
Early Tuesday afternoon, Trump reiterated his suggestion that Republicans should “let Obamacare fail.”
“We’re not going to own it,” the president told reporters before a meeting at the White House. “I’m not going to own it.”
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