Trump reverses course, rejects Alexander-Murray deal on health care subsidies

x

Embed

x

Share

CLOSE

A key Republican senator said Tuesday he’s reached a deal with his Democratic counterpart on resuming federal payments to health insurers that President Donald Trump has blocked. At the White House, the president spoke favorably about the bipartisan
Time

WASHINGTON — President Trump is sending mixed signals about a bipartisan congressional health care plan designed to maintain subsidies for health insurance exchanges.

A day after signaling support for the plan developed by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., Trump tweeted Wednesday that the deal might benefit insurance companies too much.

“I am supportive of Lamar as a person also of the process, but I can never support bailing out ins co’s who have made a fortune w/ O’Care,” Trump said.

I am supportive of Lamar as a person also of the process, but I can never support bailing out ins co’s who have made a fortune w/ O’Care.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2017

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Trump said Alexander and his Democratic colleagues were “fairly close to a short-term solution,” one that would “get us over this intermediate hump” as Republicans work on an overall repeal-and-replace of President Obama’s health care law.

But during a Tuesday evening speech at the Heritage Foundation, Trump said: “I’m pleased the Democrats have finally responded to my call for them to take responsibility for their Obamacare disaster and work with Republicans to provide much-needed relief to the American people. While I commend the bipartisan work done by Senators Alexander and Murray — and I do commend it — I continue to believe Congress must find a solution to the Obamacare mess instead of providing bailouts to insurance companies.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York attacked Trump’s reversal on the compromise, accusing him of obstruction, pandering to the extreme right out of “blatant fear” and “zig zagging” on policy so that “it’s impossible to govern.”

In Senate floor remarks, Schumer said Trump’s tweet shows he has no understanding of the deal, which will help keep premiums down.

“It doesn’t bail out the insurance companies,” he said. “It helps people who are sick and who need health care.”

Schumer added, “We should have a president who actually knows the facts of bills he talks about.”

Alexander, meanwhile, told Axios Wednesday that Trump called him with words of encouragement but said he still needs to review the deal to “reserve his options.”

Alexander and Murray announced an agreement Tuesday on extending cost-sharing subsidies for insurance companies. Last week, the Trump administration said it would stop paying the subsidies — currently the subject of a lawsuit — and force Congress to come up with a deal to save them. 

It is uncertain whether the Alexander-Murray plan would pass the full Senate or, especially, the Republican-run House.

Read more:

Alexander and Murray announce bipartisan Senate deal to prop up Obamacare

 

Article source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~/473525104/0/usatodaycomwashington-topstories~Trump-reverses-course-rejects-AlexanderMurray-deal-on-health-care-subsidies/