Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that senators made good progress with President Donald Trump at a meeting on the chamber’s healthcare bill – acknowledging the plan will receive no support from Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that senators « made good progress » with President Donald Trump at a meeting on the chamber’s healthcare bill – acknowledging the plan will receive no support from Democrats.
« The president got an opportunity to hear from the various members who have concerns about market reforms and Medicaid, the future of Medicaid, and Medicaid expansion, » the Kentucky Republican told reporters with Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas outside the White House.
« The meeting was very helpful, » he added. « The one thing I would say is that I think everybody around the table is interested in getting to ‘yes.’
« We’re interested in getting an outcome, because we know the status quo is simply unacceptable, unsustainable – and no action is just not an option. »
President Trump summoned the senators up to the White House after McConnell delayed a vote on the healthcare plan until after the Senate’s July 4 recess amid strong opposition from party members.
With ZERO Democrats to help, and a failed, expensive and dangerous ObamaCare as the Dems legacy, the Republican Senators are working hard!
I just finished a great meeting with the Republican Senators concerning HealthCare. They really want to get it right, unlike OCare!
McConnell said afterward « it’s a very complicated subject.
« I had hoped, as you know, that we could have gotten to the floor this week, but we’re not quite there.
« But I think we’ve got a really good chance of getting there, it will just take us a little bit longer. »
He said the GOP must pass legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare because Republicans will receive no help from Democrats.
« The status quo is simply unsustainable, » he said.
« It will be dealt with in one of two ways: Either Republicans will agree and change the status quo, or the markets will continue to collapse and we’ll have to sit down with Sen. Schumer, » he said, referring to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
« My suspicion is that any negotiation with the Democrats would include none of the reforms that we would like to make, both on the market side and the Medicaid side.
« So, for all of those reasons, we need to come up with a solution, » McConnell said. « The American people elected us to do that – and we’re working hard to get there. »
