President Donald Trump strongly warned Republicans on Monday that they must pass health care reform, taking his party to task and bluntly declaring that "Obamacare is death."
With the effort to repeal and replace the health care law of Trump's predecessor floundering in Congress, the Senate prepared to vote Tuesday on whether to begin debate on the latest Republican plan.
Several measures have been considered but then collapsed in recent weeks. The latest is a bid to dismantle the 2010 Affordable Care Act, but delay the actual implementation of the repeal to allow time for a viable replacement to be crafted.
US President Donald Trump calls on Republican Senators to move forward and vote on a healthcare bill to replace the Affordable Care Act in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, US, July 24, 2017. /VCG Photo
Senate Republican leaders acknowledge they do not know whether there is sufficient support to open debate on the new plan, a sign of Republican division about the impact such reforms might have on millions of American families.
With less than three weeks before the Senate is to leave Washington for its already-delayed summer recess, Trump took to his bully pulpit and demanded his party get in line.
"Any senator that votes against starting debate is telling America that you are fine with the Obamacare nightmare," Trump said at the White House, where several "victims" of Obamacare stood as a backdrop to his remarks.
"Obamacare is death," Trump added. "It's gone. And now it's up to us to get great health care for the American people."
US President Donald Trump greets people negatively affected by the Affordable Care Act after calling on Republican Senators to move forward and vote on a healthcare bill to replace law in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington DC, US, July 24, 2017. /VCG Photo
Trump has repeatedly grilled fellow Republicans for not following through on their – and his – campaign pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare, something he said he aimed to do immediately once in office in January.
Republicans hold 52 of the Senate's 100 seats. With all Democrats opposed, Trump can afford just two defectors.
But with Senator John McCain convalescing in Arizona following a brain cancer diagnosis, that magic number is down to one.
As of last week, three Republican holdouts said they would vote no on Tuesday's so-called motion to proceed, which opens debate on the legislation.
Several other Republicans have also expressed concerns, but have not announced how they will vote.
Senator John Barrasso, a Republican speaks during a news conference after a weekly GOP luncheon meeting at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on July 11, 2017. /VCG Photo
"I think until the vote is actually on the floor of the Senate, some people may not tell you what they're actually going to do," Senate Republican John Barrasso told CBS talk show "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Forecasts by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on various health reform bills have predicted that millions of Americans would lose health care if the measures become law.
In the case of a bill that repeals Obamacare and provides no replacement, 32 million more people would be uninsured by 2026 as compared to current law, CBO forecast.
The latest repeal-and-replace bill would roll back an expansion of Medicaid and slash its federal funding.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (C), Sen. John Thune (R-SD)(R), and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), speak to the media July 19, 2017 at the White House in Washington, DC, US /VCG Photo
It was not clear if Trump was referring to the prospect that failure to pass reform will lead to election challenges against GOP incumbents, or hurt American families.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell meanwhile opened the Senate Monday by urging his colleagues to vote to "kick off a robust debate" in which senators can introduce amendments to the bill.
(Source: AFP)
