Trump: Not ‘that far off’ from passing health overhaul

by Dramelin 6:00 AM 0 comments

Trump`s core voters could suffer most under GOP health bill, but they may not punish him for it    Friday, 23 Jun 2017 | 3:04 PM ET | 00:55 He told reporters at a private gathering hosted by the libertarian Koch brothers in Colorado that Trump will be "important" in securing the final votes.
"We`re trying to hold him back a little bit," Cornyn said with a smile.
The Senate bill resembles legislation the House approved last month.
A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House measure predicts an additional 23 million people over the next decade would have no health care coverage, and recent polling shows only around 1 in 4 Americans views the House bill favorably.
The legislation would phase out extra federal money that more than 30 states receive for expanding Medicaid to additional low-income earners.
It would also slap annual spending caps on the overall Medicaid program, which since its inception in 1965 has provided states with unlimited money to cover eligible costs.
Rand Paul, R-Ky.
, said he is opposing the Senate bill because it "is not anywhere close to repeal" of the Affordable Care Act.
He says the bill offers too many tax credits that help poorer people to buy insurance.
"If we get to impasse, if we go to a bill that is more repeal and less big government programs, yes, I`ll consider partial repeal," he said.
"I`m not voting for something that looks just like Obamacare.
" Trump said he thinks Republicans in the Senate are doing the best they can to push through the bill.
"I don`t think they`re that far off.
Famous last words, right? But I think they`re going to get there," Trump said of Republican Senate leaders.
"We don`t have too much of a choice, because the alternative is the dead carcass of Obamacare.
" Schumer said Democrats have been clear they will cooperate with Republicans if they agree to drop a repeal of the Affordable Care Act and instead work to improve it.
Still, Schumer acknowledged it was too close to call as to whether Republicans could muster enough support on their own to pass the bill.
He said they had "at best, a 50-50 chance.