Members of the U. S. Senate plan to burn the midnight oil Thursday, working to come up with a new health care bill. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is keeping up the pressure
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) – Members of the U. S. Senate plan to burn the midnight oil Thursday, working to come up with a new health care bill.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is keeping up the pressure, CBS2’s Dick Brennan reported.
“We all know this is likely to be a very long night, ” Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) said.
Republicans are working on a so-called “skinny plan, ” which repeals parts of Obamacare, including a tax on medical devices, and eliminates mandates for individuals and large employers to buy health insurance.
Thursday morning, Trump tweeted, “Come on Republican Senators, you can do it on Healthcare. After 7 years, this is your chance to shine! Don’ t let the American people down!”
Come on Republican Senators, you can do it on Healthcare. After 7 years, this is your chance to shine! Don’t let the American people down!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27,2017
But Democrats say a vote on a skinny repeal will not stop the process.
“It won’ t be the last vote. There will be many more after that to change it and to modify it, ” Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
In the meantime, Attorney General Jeff Sessions described Trump’s blistering criticism of him as “hurtful, ” but said he will continue to do his job.
“The president of the United States is a strong leader and he wants all of us to do our jobs, and that’s what I intend to do, ” he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) had a message for the White House concerning Sessions and special counsel Robert Mueller.
“If Jeff Sessions is fired, there will be holy hell to pay, ” he said. “Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency, unless Mueller did something wrong.”
On another front, a West Wing feud appears to be brewing between Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Brennan reported. Scaramucci says someone leaked his financial information, and in a tweet he appeared to blame Priebus.
“When I put out a tweet and I put Reince’s name in a tweet, they’ re all making assumptions that it’s him, because journalists know who the leakers are, ” he said in an interview. “So if Reince wants to explain that he’s not a leaker, let him do that.”
On another issue, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was not aware the president was going to tweet a ban on transgender service members. For now, there will be no change in current policy.
“We will work through the implementation guidance when we get it, and then we’ ll move from there, ” Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said.
Trump will be in Suffolk County on Friday to meet with police and prosecutors about the fight against the MS-13 gang. Suffolk Count Police say they have made 170 arrests of MS-13 members since September.
