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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Monday, Jul 31 2017

Full Issue

Trump Threatens Lawmakers' Own Insurance If They Don't Pass A Health Bill

President Donald Trump, following the defeat of the GOP health proposal, says Republicans looked "like fools" and should not give up on passing legislation.

President Trump on Saturday scolded Congress for looking 鈥渓ike fools鈥 and urged Republican senators not to be 鈥渢otal quitters鈥 as he insisted that his push to overhaul the nation鈥檚 health care law remained viable, the day after it was rejected by the Senate. To reinforce his demand, the president threatened to cut lawmakers鈥 own health insurance plans if Congress failed to revive the flagging seven-year effort to roll back the medical care program of former President Barack Obama. (Haberman, 7/29)

Trying to move forward after a big staff shake-up, facing issues ranging from North Korea to his own attorney general, President Trump said Sunday that Republicans should keep trying to repeal and replace Obamacare 鈥 while a top aide suggested Trump would pursue the same goal by cutting regulations. "Don't give up Republican Senators, the World is watching: Repeal & Replace," Trump tweeted early in the day. (Jackson, 7/30)

Trump's multi-chaptered and occasionally self-contradictory rant kicked off Friday morning, shortly聽after three Republican senators joined every Democrat to sink the GOP's聽last-ditch effort to overturn Obamacare, 51 to 49. At first, Trump聽seemed resigned to let the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare, take its course, convinced that the program聽will fail and force Congress to replace it. (Selk, 7/29)

In a Twitter message on Saturday, Trump said "if a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!" (7/29)

The second portion of the tweet referenced congressional health benefits. Members of Congress and many staffers were removed from Federal Employee Health Benefits structure and put into the new insurance exchanges set up by ObamaCare in 2010. The Office of Personnel Management under the Obama administration said members of Congress could obtain subsidized insurance through Washington, D.C.'s health insurance exchange. (Manchester, 7/31)

Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House budget office, clarified a聽vague threat issued by President Trump on Twitter on Saturday, saying the president wants members of Congress to聽bear more of the聽burden for their heavily subsidized聽health insurance if they fail to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. (Grandoni, 7/30)

The Senate should not vote on anything else until it鈥檚 voted again on repealing Obamacare, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Sunday. Mulvaney said that 鈥測es,鈥 it's official White House policy that the Senate shouldn鈥檛 hold a vote on another issue 鈥 not even an imminent crisis like raising the debt ceiling鈥 until the Senate votes again on health care. (Klimas, 7/30)

In a tweet Saturday afternoon, Trump said, 鈥淯nless the Republican Senators are total quitters, Repeal & Replace is not dead!鈥 He also appeared to call on GOP senators to demand another health care vote before tackling any other legislation. (McDonald, 7/29)

President Trump on Saturday blasted Senate Republicans for giving up the fight on healthcare, saying that senators should demand another vote before any other legislation is considered. "Unless the Republican Senators are total quitters, Repeal & Replace is not dead!" Trump tweeted Saturday. (Bowden, 7/29)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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