Tipsheet

Trump Urges Lawmakers to Get Healthcare Done

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  July 14, 2017 9:47 AM

President Trump urged Republican lawmakers in a series of tweets Friday morning to get healthcare done for the American people, telling them he’s waiting with “pen in hand” to sign legislation.

“Republicans Senators are working hard to get their failed ObamaCare replacement approved. I will be at my desk, pen in hand!” he tweeted.

“So impt Rep Senators, under leadership of @SenateMajLdr McConnell get healthcare plan approved. After 7yrs of O'Care disaster, must happen!” he added.

Americans have suffered under Obamacare long enough, he said.

“After all of these years of suffering thru ObamaCare, Republican Senators must come through as they have promised!” the president wrote.

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“.@VP Mike Pence is working hard on HealthCare and getting our wonderful Republican Senators to do what is right for the people,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday released a revised Senate bill, the Better Care Act, billed as an Obamacare repeal bill, but not all lawmakers are buying it.

Sen. Rand Paul said he can’t vote for it since it doesn’t repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"The Republicans don't fix the death spiral of Obamacare, they subsidize it," Paul told Fox News’s “Fox and Friends” Thursday morning.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins joins Paul in opposing the procedural motion to begin debate on the legislation.

Collins told reporters that leaders appeared to be double- and triple-counting to address various concerns raised by colleagues.

“It seems to me you’re using that money over and over again,” she said, according to Talking Points Memo. “It’s supposed to relieve the cost of high premiums. It’s supposed to solve the problem with deductibles being unaffordable. It’s supposed to be available for high-risk or reinsurance pool. It’s supposed to be available under the Cruz Amendment to help prevent a huge increase in rates for people with pre-existing conditions.”

A GOP aide said other moderates share her concerns.

McConnell has told these centrists that healthcare costs for lower-income Americans will be cover by three pots of money: the funds set aside for tax credits and refundable tax credits; the $132 billion long-term state innovation fund; and $45 billion to treat opioid addiction. (The Hill)

McConnell needs 50 votes bring the legislation to the floor. Every Democrat is expected to vote no.