Trump reaches out to lawmakers on healthcare as another says 'no'

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President Donald Trump made calls to fellow Republicans in the US Senate on Friday to mobilize support for their party's healthcare overhaul while acknowledging the legislation is on a "very, very narrow path" to passage.

Five Republican senators have announced they will not support the bill, which is designed to repeal and replace Obamacare, in its current form.

White House officials said on Friday that Trump has been in touch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and made calls on Thursday and Friday to other lawmakers.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, walks towards his office at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., US, on June 22, 2017. /VCG Photo

Trump's role is expected to become more pronounced in coming days as the vote nears. Senate Republican leaders may rely on the deal-making former businessman to lean on conservative senators who are balking at the bill.

"We're pleasantly surprised with a lot of the support that's already come out and I think we'll continue to work through (it,) in particular the four individuals who have expressed some ideas and concerns," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters at a White House briefing.

With all Democrats expected to oppose the measure, the Republicans can afford to lose the support of only two of their 52 members if they want to pass the legislation.

After Spicer spoke, Republican Senator Dean Heller became the fifth Republican opponent on Friday, saying he would not support the bill in its current form.

"This bill that's currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer," Heller, a moderate who is up for re-election in 2018, said at a news conference in Las Vegas.

Senator Dean Heller, a Republican from Nevada, speaks during a campaign rally for Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida and 2016 presidential candidate, not pictured, at the Peppermill hotel and casino in Reno, Nevada, US, on February 22, 2016. /VCG Photo

That could add Heller's name to Trump's call list. A White House official said the Trump has pushed his team to stay involved and plans to flex his negotiating muscle, the official said.

The Senate's 142-page proposal, worked out in secret by a group led by McConnell, aims to deliver on a central Trump campaign promise to undo former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, which has provided coverage to 20 million Americans since it was passed in 2010.

Republicans view the law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, as a costly government intrusion and say individual insurance markets created by it are collapsing.

Healthcare stocks closed down 0.1 percent on Friday, clawing back some losses after the sector dropped sharply late in the session on Heller's announcement.

(Source: Reuters)

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