Less than six weeks after he helped revive a flagging House Republican health care bill and push it to passage, President Donald Trump now says the measure is “mean” and is asking GOP senators to make it more generous.
The president’s criticism also came as Senate Republican leaders’ attempts to write their own health care package have been slowed by disagreements between their party’s conservatives and moderates.
Trump’s characterizations could undercut attempts by Senate leaders to assuage conservatives who want restrictions in their chamber’s bill, such as cutting the Medicaid health care program for the poor and limiting the services insurers must cover. Moderate GOP senators have been pushing to ease those efforts.
Facing expected unanimous Democratic opposition, Republicans will be unable to pass a Senate bill if just three of the 52 GOP senators vote “no.” Alienating any of them could make approving the measure trickier for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who’s been hoping for a vote before Congress’ July 4 recess.
Trump’s comments were described by two GOP congressional sources who received accounts of Tuesday‘s White House lunch. They spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal a closed-door conversation.
Two other congressional GOP officials confirmed that the general descriptions of Trump’s words were accurate.
The remarks nevertheless provided ammunition to Democrats who have unanimously opposed the Republican effort to dismantle President Barack Obama‘s health care overhaul, the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
“Americans won’t forget that @HouseGOP passed a “mean” bill to rip healthcare from millions then celebrated @ the WH,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md.
The measure’s final version reflected a compromise by conservative leader Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and centrist Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J. They agreed to language letting states drop requirements for higher premiums under Obama’s health care law to protect with pre-existing medical conditions, and requiring insurers to cover specific services like maternity care.
At the White House ceremony celebrating House passage of the GOP health care bill, Trump and Ryan praised the legislation as the fulfillment of campaign promises that Trump and GOP congressional candidates had long made to repeal Obama’s statute.
MacArthur’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s description of the bill MacArthur helped resuscitate.