WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump laid down a new marker in the health care overhaul debate on Friday morning, tweeting that if Republicans are unable to pass a bill they should move to immediately repeal Barack Obama's 2010 law.
Republican senators left Washington on Thursday for a July 4 recess that will stretch until July 10 without taking up a leadership-crafted overhaul bill due to lack of support. The measure needs 50 votes _ plus Vice President Mike Pence casting the decisive 51st to _ to pass, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was shy of that mark.
McConnell and his leadership team continue meeting and negotiating with conservative and moderate members of their caucus in an attempt to alter their plan in ways that assuage concerns from both camps.
On Tuesday, in a strange comment, Trump told GOP senators and reporters that it would be "OK" if they failed to pass a bill. In the past, he has openly talked about political advantages for Republicans if they let the 2010 law continue to limp along, forcing Democrats to cut a deal on a new health plan.
Trump tweeted that if GOP senators cannot pass a bill they should "immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE" the 2010 law "at a later date!"
His tweet seemed to mirror a way ahead laid out by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., in a letter sent to the president Friday morning.
"If we don't get to agreement on a combined, comprehensive ObamaCare repeal and replace plan by that day (July 10), I humbly suggest that you publicly call on the Congress to do two things," Sasse wrote to Trump.
The first would be "to immediately repeal as much of ObamaCare as is possible under Congressional budget reconciliation rules," the senator told Trump, "and then (2) to cancel the scheduled August state work period and instead to spend that month working through regular order, six days per week, writing a health reform package with a vote to be scheduled on Labor Day."
Sasse took notice of the president's tweet.
"Sounds great, Pres," Sasse tweeted. "We are agreed. We need to break the logjam."
