Trump fumes as US health care reform bid collapses

An angry President Donald Trump railed
Tuesday against dissenters in his party who dashed his months-long
effort to dismantle Barack Obama’s landmark health care law.

Trump fired off a series of early morning tweets complaining
about how he was “let down” by Democrats “and a few Republicans,”
who announced their opposition the previous night to the latest
leadership plan to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act,
also known as Obamacare.

With four Republicans now lined up against Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell’s health overhaul, the plan has flatlined in
the 100-member chamber, where the party could afford only two
defectors in order to get the measure passed.

The dramatic implosion effectively means Trump, who marks his
first six months in office later this week, has no major
legislative victory under his belt, squandering months of political
capital.

Trump had campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to abolish most of
the Affordable Care Act, proclaiming at an October campaign rally
that it would be “so easy” to immediately repeal and replace the
law.

But on Monday night he ran into the uncompromising reality of
American politics: even with a president’s party enjoying a
majority in both chambers, crafting and passing landmark
legislation can be difficult in the US Congress.

The failure suggests an inability by Trump — a political
neophyte who often highlighted his lack of connections to
establishment Washington — to get members of his own party to fall
into line.

Nevertheless Trump put on a brave face, insisting on Twitter
that “we will return!”

“As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come
together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned,” he added.

– ‘Time to start over’ –

McConnell was by no means giving up. He told colleagues Tuesday
that despite “regret” that the effort failed, “I believe we must
continue to push forward now.”

In the coming days, McConnell will introduce a bill that repeals
Obamacare outright, but with a two-year delay of implementation, in
order to allow Congress time to craft a replacement.

A straight repeal bill passed Congress in 2015. But that was
during Obama’s presidency, and Republicans knew they would pay no
political price for their votes, as Obama vetoed the measure.

Trump would likely sign such legislation, putting Republicans on
the hook for any ensuing disruption to the health care system.

Two years ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office
warned that simply repealing Obamacare would essentially kick 18
million people off health care in the first year compared to
current law, a figure that would balloon to 32 million by 2026.

That is far above the 22 million that CBO forecast would lose
coverage under the latest repeal-and-replace legislation.

Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday he and
Trump “fully support” McConnell’s decision to move ahead with an
Obamacare repeal.

But with a number of Senate Republican moderates voicing concern
about how the latest bill could adversely impact millions of people
insured through Medicaid, the health coverage program for the poor
and the disabled, it appeared unlikely that McConnell’s repeal bid
would win enough support.

“I can not vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan
that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians,”
Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose chamber passed its own health
reform bill in May, appeared to recognize the quandary the Senate
was in, but stressed the commitment Republicans have made to voters
over the past seven years.

“We’ve got a promise to keep,” he told reporters.

But Ryan hesitated to map out the way forward, because it
remained unclear what repeal effort, if any, could pass the
Senate.

While Democrats celebrated, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
extended an olive branch to his Republican rivals.

“It’s time to move on. It’s time to start over” on health care,
he said.

Schumer called on Republicans to “work with Democrats on a bill
that lowers premiums, provides longterm stability to the markets
and improve our health care system.”

AEP

An angry President Donald Trump railed
Tuesday against dissenters in his party who dashed his months-long
effort to dismantle Barack Obama’s landmark health care law.

Trump fired off a series of early morning tweets complaining
about how he was “let down” by Democrats “and a few Republicans,”
who announced their opposition the previous night to the latest
leadership plan to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act,
also known as Obamacare.

With four Republicans now lined up against Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell’s health overhaul, the plan has flatlined in
the 100-member chamber, where the party could afford only two
defectors in order to get the measure passed.

The dramatic implosion effectively means Trump, who marks his
first six months in office later this week, has no major
legislative victory under his belt, squandering months of political
capital.

Trump had campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to abolish most of
the Affordable Care Act, proclaiming at an October campaign rally
that it would be “so easy” to immediately repeal and replace the
law.

But on Monday night he ran into the uncompromising reality of
American politics: even with a president’s party enjoying a
majority in both chambers, crafting and passing landmark
legislation can be difficult in the US Congress.

The failure suggests an inability by Trump — a political
neophyte who often highlighted his lack of connections to
establishment Washington — to get members of his own party to fall
into line.

Nevertheless Trump put on a brave face, insisting on Twitter
that “we will return!”

“As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come
together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned,” he added.

– ‘Time to start over’ –

McConnell was by no means giving up. He told colleagues Tuesday
that despite “regret” that the effort failed, “I believe we must
continue to push forward now.”

In the coming days, McConnell will introduce a bill that repeals
Obamacare outright, but with a two-year delay of implementation, in
order to allow Congress time to craft a replacement.

A straight repeal bill passed Congress in 2015. But that was
during Obama’s presidency, and Republicans knew they would pay no
political price for their votes, as Obama vetoed the measure.

Trump would likely sign such legislation, putting Republicans on
the hook for any ensuing disruption to the health care system.

Two years ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office
warned that simply repealing Obamacare would essentially kick 18
million people off health care in the first year compared to
current law, a figure that would balloon to 32 million by 2026.

That is far above the 22 million that CBO forecast would lose
coverage under the latest repeal-and-replace legislation.

Nevertheless, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday he and
Trump “fully support” McConnell’s decision to move ahead with an
Obamacare repeal.

But with a number of Senate Republican moderates voicing concern
about how the latest bill could adversely impact millions of people
insured through Medicaid, the health coverage program for the poor
and the disabled, it appeared unlikely that McConnell’s repeal bid
would win enough support.

“I can not vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan
that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians,”
Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose chamber passed its own health
reform bill in May, appeared to recognize the quandary the Senate
was in, but stressed the commitment Republicans have made to voters
over the past seven years.

“We’ve got a promise to keep,” he told reporters.

But Ryan hesitated to map out the way forward, because it
remained unclear what repeal effort, if any, could pass the
Senate.

While Democrats celebrated, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
extended an olive branch to his Republican rivals.

“It’s time to move on. It’s time to start over” on health care,
he said.

Schumer called on Republicans to “work with Democrats on a bill
that lowers premiums, provides longterm stability to the markets
and improve our health care system.”

AEP