Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Dips Toes Into Senate Negotiations After Weeks Of Sitting On Sidelines
Making a final push, President Donald Trump said he doesn't think congressional Republicans are "that far off" on a health overhaul to replace "the dead carcass of Obamacare." Expressing frustration, he complained about "the level of hostility" in government and wondered why both parties can't work together on the Senate bill as GOP critics expressed doubt over a successful vote this week. It was the latest signs of high-stakes maneuvering over a key campaign promise, and the president signaled a willingness to deal. (6/25)
President Donald Trump pressured the handful of Republican senators who may be planning to vote against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell鈥檚 plan to overhaul Obamacare, days before the Senate is likely to begin debate on the measure. (Litvan and Dennis, 6/23)
President Donald Trump said he expects to see passage of the Senate Republican鈥檚 health care bill as negotiations proceed with the GOP lawmakers who have withheld support. 鈥淲e have a few people that鈥ant to get some points; I think they鈥檒l get some points,鈥 Mr. Trump said during a Fox News interview aired聽Sunday. (Witkowski, 6/25)
After keeping the White House at a distance during the bill鈥檚 crafting, McConnell is suddenly more dependent on Trump 鈥 mainly to apply political pressure on skeptical conservatives. (Sullivan, Costa and Snell, 6/24)
In addition to disputes over costs and insurance rates for Americans, the health care debate also features the most public duel yet between President Trump and predecessor Barack Obama 鈥斅爄ncluding an argument over the use of the word "mean." "Well, he (Obama) used my term, 'mean,'" Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday on Fox & Friends, adding that "I want to see a (health care)聽bill with heart." (Jackson and Schouten, 6/25)
Meanwhile, a look at the promises the president has made on health care聽鈥
Donald Trump set himself apart from other Republican presidential candidates when it came to health care. Before taking office, he vowed 鈥渋nsurance for everybody鈥 that would be 鈥渕uch less expensive and much better鈥 and explicitly promised not to touch Medicaid, which millions of his working-class supporters rely upon to cover doctor鈥檚 visits and medication. But as Republicans in the Senate press ahead with legislation that would dramatically cut Medicaid and scale back the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, it is increasingly clear that President Trump is almost certain to fall well short of fulfilling those promises. (Wagner, Phillip and Johnson, 6/26)
President Donald Trump is not known for plunging into the details of complex policy issues, and health care is no exception. Since his campaign days, Trump has addressed health care in broad, aspirational strokes. Nonetheless he made some clear promises along the way. Those promises come under two big headings. First, what Trump would do about the Affordable Care Act, his predecessor's health care law, often called "Obamacare." Second, the kind of health care system that Trump envisions for Americans. (6/26)