Trump reaches out to Democrats in bid for ‘great’ health law


Team Udayavani, Oct 8, 2017, 10:53 AM IST

Washington:  Trying to revive health care talks, President Donald Trump has said that he had spoken to the Senate’s Democratic leader to gauge whether the minority party was interested in helping pass “great” health legislation.

The answer back: Democrats are willing to hear his ideas, but scrapping the Obama health law is a nonstarter. Trump’s latest overture to Democrats followed GOP failures so far to fulfill the party’s yearslong promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act In spite of controlling the White House and Congress since January, Republicans have not passed the legislation.

The president tweeted that he called New York Sen. Chuck Schumer on Friday to discuss the 2010 law known as “Obamacare,” which Trump said “is badly broken, big premiums. Who knows!” Trump said he wanted “to see if the Dems want to do a great HealthCare Bill.” 

In remarks Saturday evening on the South Lawn before a trip to North Carolina, Trump said he was willing to consider “a temporary deal.” What that might involve was not clear, but Trump referred to a popular GOP proposal that would have the federal government turn over money for health care directly to states in the form of block grants.

“If we could do a one-year deal or a two-year deal as a temporary measure, you’ll have block granting ultimately to the states, which is what the Republicans want. That really is a repeal and replace,” he said. Schumer said through a spokesman yesterday that Trump “wanted to make another run at repeal and replace and I told the president that’s off the table.” Schumer said if Trump “wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions.” 

Trump has suggested before that he would be open to negotiating with Democrats on health care, but there have been no clear signs of a compromise between Republicans who have sought to scrap President Barack Obama’s law and Democrats who want to protect it.

Schumer said a starting point could be negotiations led by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., who have been discussing a limited bipartisan deal to stabilise state-level markets for individual health insurance policies. People covered under the health law represent about half of those who purchase individual policies.

Trump irritated GOP leaders in Congress when he reached a deal with Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D- Calif., on a spending bill and the debt ceiling. The president has referred to those two Democrats as “Chuck and Nancy.” 

But the Trump administration announced Friday that it would allow more employers to opt out of no-cost birth control to women by claiming religious or moral objections. The move was one more attempt to roll back Obama’s health overhaul, prompting Democrats to question whether Trump is committed to avoiding sabotaging the law.

Trump floated the potential talks as he approved an emergency declaration for a large part of Louisiana and ordered federal assistance for the state as Hurricane Nate approached the central Gulf of Mexico. The president was headlining a fundraiser on Saturday night in Greensboro, North Carolina, to benefit his Trump Victory joint fundraising committee with the Republican National Committee. The event was expected to raise USD 2 million, with donors paying up to USD 35,000 per couple to serve as co-hosts.

Before leaving for North Carolina, Trump repeated his assertion that trying to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs is a waste of time. In a two-part tweet, he said: “Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid … hasn’t worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of US negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work!” 

Trump’s tweets yesterday and earlier in the week were seen directed either at undermining Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s efforts to maintain channels of communication or at somehow bolstering the diplomat’s hand in possible future talks.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

FIR against Vijayendra over derogatory post: EC

Vinesh, Reetika, Anshu secure Paris Olympics quotas for India

Kejriwal stopped taking insulin months before his arrest: Tihar officials claim in report to L-G

Big and powerful people in India, abroad joined hands to remove me from power: Modi

Gundlupet: Elephant calf killed in tiger attack on Bandipur-Ooty National Highway, traffic comes to a standstill

Congress questions Modi govt’s unfair treatment of Karnataka in revenue sharing

Strong anti-incumbency against Modi govt, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Related Articles More

Apparent Israeli attack on Iran’s territory intercepted, no damage to any installation: Envoy

Biden administration official backs reform of UN in response to Musk’s comments on permanent UNSC seat for India

Russia initiates withdrawal of peacekeeping forces from Karabakh as Azerbaijan takes full control of the region

Unprecedented rainfall in Dubai: Social media flooded with visuals of submerged airport & streets

Israel’s Defense Innovations: From Iron Dome to Arrow 3

MUST WATCH

Grafting Jack Anil

Heat Illness

Dwarakish death at 81

H. D. Deve Gowda

Aura Cake shop in udupi


Latest Additions

Opposition spreading rumours about BJP changing Constitution out of fear of defeat: Thakur

FIR against Vijayendra over derogatory post: EC

Congress has transformed Bengaluru into ‘Tanker City’: Modi

Kishan Reddy hits out at Congress for not implementing poll promises in 100 days

Man claims Bishnoi gang member to execute ‘major’ plan in Mumbai; police find call to be hoax

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.