Trump, who campaigned on a promise to get rid of Obamacare but has been frustrated by the failure of Republicans in Congress to pass legislation to do so, also made clear on Tuesday he eventually wanted broader legislation to repeal and replace the law.
Ryan gave no indication of willingness to consider the Alexander-Murray agreement. “The speaker does not see anything that changes his view that the Senate should keep its focus on repeal and replace of Obamacare,” Ryan spokesman Doug Andres said.
‘HOW HIGH?’
While the proposal drew broad Democratic support, it remained unclear whether it will even come to a vote in the Senate and House, both controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans.
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer ripped Trump for his shifting stances on the Alexander-Murray deal.
“This president cannot govern if, whenever the hard right frightens him and says, ‘Jump,’ he says, “How high?'” Schumer told reporters.
“The president is pointing fingers,” Schumer said. “He blames (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell for obstruction. He blames the Democrats for obstruction. He’s the obstructionist in chief because he cannot stick to a position.”
The Alexander-Murray proposal would meet some Democratic objectives, such as reviving subsidies for Obamacare and restoring $106 million in funding for a federal program that helps people enroll in insurance plans.
In exchange, Republicans would get more flexibility for states to offer a wider variety of health insurance plans while maintaining the requirement that sick and healthy people be charged the same rates for coverage.
Democratic attorneys general from 18 states and the District of Columbia who have filed a legal challenge to the subsidy cutoff asked a judge in California to quickly direct the administration to continue the payments.
Murray, speaking to Reuters on Wednesday, said her agreement with Alexander was still very much alive.
“Absolutely,” Collins said. “Lamar and I are working to have a good set of co-sponsors,” and hope to formally introduce it as a Senate bill on Thursday.
“Lamar is building his Republican co-sponsors. He’s working it,” Murray said.
At an event sponsored by the news website Axios, Alexander said that Trump “wanted a bipartisan bill for the short term.”
Trump said on Tuesday he wanted lawmakers, once they have completed work on his tax-cut proposal, to again take up broader legislation that failed in the Senate last month that would divvy up federal healthcare money as block grants to states.