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Trump claims 'Obamacare is dead' despite failure to repeal legislation Trump claims 'Obamacare is dead' despite failure to repeal legislation
(about 1 hour later)
Donald Trump on Monday absolved himself of responsibility for Republicans’ failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and predicted that voters will blame Democrats if the law crumbles under a sustained assault from his administration. Donald Trump on Monday absolved himself of responsibility for Republicans’ failure to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and predicted voters will blame Democrats if the law crumbles under sustained assault from his administration.
“Obamacare is finished,” Trump told reporters before a closed-door cabinet meeting. “It’s dead. It’s gone. You shouldn’t even mention it. It’s gone. There is no such thing as Obamacare any more.” “Obamacare is finished,” Trump told reporters before a cabinet meeting. “It’s dead. It’s gone. You shouldn’t even mention it. It’s gone. There is no such thing as Obamacare any more.”
The president faulted Republicans for falling one vote short of repealing the 2010 law, saying: “I’m not going to blame myself, I’ll be honest. They’re not getting the job done.” The president faulted Republicans in the Senate for falling one vote short of repealing the 2010 law, saying: “I’m not going to blame myself, I’ll be honest. They’re not getting the job done.”
Trump, who promised supporters he would repeal the ACA and replace it with “something much better for everybody”, last week announced he would end “cost-sharing reduction” (CSR) payments to insurance companies that help subsidize the cost of insurance for millions of lower-income Americans. In a subsequent Rose Garden press conference with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, Trump insisted that he and his “friend” were “close” to achieving healthcare reform. The appearance by the two men followed an Oval Office lunch at which subjects for discussion included former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon’s call for “war” on McConnell and the party establishment.
The decision followed an executive order that would allow insurance companies to sell plans that fall short of the coverage requirements under Barack Obama’s law. “My relationship with this gentleman is outstanding,” said Trump, who in August attacked McConnell for the “disgrace” of failing to repeal the ACA.
Democrats have accused Trump of sabotaging the ACA – in the words of the Connecticut senator Chris Murphy on Sunday, “literally setting the entire healthcare system on fire just because [he] is upset that the United States Congress won’t pass a repeal bill”. Over the weekend Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, seemed to agree. On the campaign trail last year, Trump promised supporters he would repeal the ACA and replace it with “something much better for everybody”. Last week he announced he would end “cost-sharing reduction” (CSR) payments to insurance companies that help subsidize insurance for millions of lower-income Americans.
“Then you had Obamacare,” Bannon said at the Values Voter Summit on Saturday, as he listed Trump’s recent actions. “Not gonna make the CSR payments, gonna blow that thing up, gonna blow those [insurance] exchanges up, right?” The decision followed an executive order that would allow insurance companies to sell plans that fall short of coverage requirements under Barack Obama’s law.
Trump has called the subsidies “bailouts” for insurance companies. They are in fact payments the government gives such companies to make health coverage less expensive for low-income people. Democrats accused Trump of sabotaging the ACA – in the words of the Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, “literally setting the entire healthcare system on fire just because [he] is upset that the United States Congress won’t pass a repeal bill”.
Congressional Republicans sued the Obama administration over the subsidies, accusing it of executive overreach. A federal court agreed the payments were illegal, and the case is now pending before the US court of appeals for the DC circuit. Bannon seemed to agree. “Then you had Obamacare,” he said at the Values Voter Summit on Saturday. “Not gonna make the CSR payments, gonna blow that thing up, gonna blow those [insurance] exchanges up, right?”
Talks on ACA reform between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate were on track last month before a Republican senator attempted to revive a plan for full repeal, which Democrats refuse to discuss. On Monday, Trump said he was forcing both parties to come to the table. Trump has repeatedly called the CSR payments “bailouts” for insurance companies. They are in fact subsidies to such companies to make coverage less expensive for low-income people. Congressional Republicans sued the Obama administration over the issue, accusing it of executive overreach. A federal court said the payments were illegal and the case is pending before the US court of appeals for the DC circuit.
Talks on ACA reform between Senate Republicans and Democrats were on track last month before a Republican senator attempted to revive a plan for full repeal, which Democrats refuse to discuss. On Monday, Trump said his decision to cut subsidies was forcing both parties to come to the table.
“We need tax cuts,” he said. “We need healthcare. Now, we’re going to get the healthcare done. In my opinion, what’s happening is, as we meet – Republicans are meeting with Democrats because of what I did with the CSR, because I cut off the gravy train. If I didn’t cut the CSRs, they wouldn’t be meeting. They’d be having lunch and enjoying themselves, all right?”“We need tax cuts,” he said. “We need healthcare. Now, we’re going to get the healthcare done. In my opinion, what’s happening is, as we meet – Republicans are meeting with Democrats because of what I did with the CSR, because I cut off the gravy train. If I didn’t cut the CSRs, they wouldn’t be meeting. They’d be having lunch and enjoying themselves, all right?”
He predicted that a new healthcare bill would be forthcoming, but said: “Sadly, the Democrats can’t join us on that, which will be the long-term fix. But I do believe we’ll have a short-term fix because I think the Democrats will be blamed for the mess. This is an Obamacare mess.” He predicted that a new bill would be forthcoming but said: “Sadly, the Democrats can’t join us on that, which will be the long-term fix. But I do believe we’ll have a short-term fix because I think the Democrats will be blamed for the mess. This is an Obamacare mess.”
But Republicans are not uniformly behind him. On Sunday, Susan Collins of Maine was interviewed on CNN. She joined with other senators to defeat two attempts to repeal and replace the ACA, popularly known as Obamacare. Republicans are not uniformly behind him. On Sunday, Susan Collins of Maine was interviewed on CNN. She joined with other senators to defeat two attempts to repeal and replace the ACA.
“What the president is doing is affecting the ability of vulnerable people to receive healthcare right now,” she said.“What the president is doing is affecting the ability of vulnerable people to receive healthcare right now,” she said.
In freewheeling comments at the top of Monday’s cabinet meeting, Trump touched on other issues including the wildfires in California (“very sad thing to watch”); his disavowal of the Iran deal (“I’m tired of being taken advantage of”); the mental state of the gunman who killed 58 people and injured nearly 500 in Las Vegas (“the wires were crossed pretty badly in his brain”); the opioid crisis (“the drug companies quite frankly are getting away with murder”); and his campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico (“More than ever we need the wall”). In freewheeling comments before Monday’s cabinet meeting, Trump touched on other issues including the wildfires in California (“very sad thing to watch”); his disavowal of the Iran deal (“I’m tired of being taken advantage of”); the mental state of the gunman who killed 58 people and injured nearly 500 in Las Vegas (“the wires were crossed pretty badly in his brain”); the opioid crisis (“the drug companies quite frankly are getting away with murder”); and his campaign promise to build a wall on the border with Mexico (“More than ever we need the wall”).
After the meeting, Trump was scheduled to have lunch with the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, with whom he has feuded with publicly. Discussing his meeting with McConnell, Trump called Bannon his friend and said he “fully understands” his anger at the Republican establishment.
At the weekend Bannon, who returned to Breitbart News after departing the White House, declared “war” on the Republican establishment and urged conservatives to support primary challenges against incumbent senators who he said were obstructing Trump’s nationalist agenda. McConnell was chief among his targets. “There are some Republicans, frankly, that should be ashamed of themselves,” he said.
On Monday, Trump called Bannon his friend and said he “fully understands” his anger at the Republican establishment. In the Rose Garden later, Trump turned his fire back on to congressional Democrats. He liked the “concept” of working with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, he said, but: “Right now, they are doing nothing but obstructing.”
“There are some Republicans, frankly, that should ashamed of themselves,” Trump said.