Night Of The Living Dead: Senators Work To Revive Zombie Trumpcare Bill Late Into Evening
Republicans cite good progress on the legislation that had been declared all-but-dead earlier in the day but large obstacles remain that have stymied previous efforts.
The New York Times:
Trump Demands That Senators Find A Way To Replace Obamacare
President Trump ordered senators back to the negotiating table on Wednesday for a last-ditch effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, just one day after angrily accepting the measure’s demise and vowing to allow President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement to crater. (Davis, Kaplan and Haberkorn, 7/19)
The New York Times:
Republicans’ Push To Overturn Health Law Is Back From The Dead
The Republican health care push was declared dead Wednesday morning. By afternoon it had a breath of life. Legislation in Washington can assume Frankenstein-like qualities. On the cusp of a humiliating and politically disastrous defeat, President Trump and the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, took extraordinary resuscitative measures on Wednesday to pump oxygen back into their badly fading effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. They somehow managed to stave off its imminent demise. (Hulse, 7/19)
Reuters:
Republicans Meet Late Into Night As Trump Demands New Healthcare Plan
Republicans struggling to agree on healthcare legislation to overhaul Obamacare obeyed U.S. President Donald Trump's orders to try to swiftly reach a deal but were unable to resolve their differences in a long, late-night meeting. (Abutaleb and Cowan, 7/20)
Politico:
Senate Republicans Still At Impasse After Late-Night Health Care Meeting
The Republicans initially planned to bring in chiefs of staff and health care wonks to advance the negotiations. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus was expected to join and help push the disagreeing GOP senators to yes. But as the senators kept talking, they reevaluated their plan and decided not to allow staff in and keep the room to members only. Priebus strolled out of Sen. John Barrasso’s office, as did White House legislative director Marc Short. The senators would keep talking amongst themselves. Talks “narrowed down to try to figure out what is causing members not to be able to vote in favor or problems they have with the bill,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who opposes the GOP’s latest repeal and replace draft. “It had merit and it’s something that should have been taking place.” (Everett, Kim and Haberkorn, 7/19)
The Associated Press:
Trump Exhorts Senate Anew To Rid US Of Obamacare
Lecturing fellow Republicans, President Donald Trump summoned GOP senators to the White House Wednesday and told them face-to-face they must not leave town for their August recess without sending him an "Obamacare" repeal bill to sign. Senators responded by vowing to revive legislative efforts left for dead twice already this week. (Werner and Fram, 7/19)
USA Today:
Donald Trump Hosts Republicans For Lunch To Hash Out Health Care Plan
"I don't think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan," Trump said during a White House lunch attended by 49 of the 52 Republican senators. "We shouldn't leave town until this is complete, until this bill is on my desk." (Jackson, 7/19)
The Washington Post:
Trump Threatens Electoral Consequences For Senators Who Oppose Health Bill
At the lunch, the president also threatened electoral consequences for senators who oppose him, suggesting that Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) could lose his reelection bid next year if he does not back the effort. The president also invited conservative opposition against anyone else who stands in the way.“ Any senator who votes against starting debate is really telling America that you’re fine with Obamacare,” Trump said. (Sullivan, Snell and Nakamura, 7/19)
The New York Times:
Inspiring Little Fear In Senators, Trump Struggles To Sell Health Bill
President Trump thought he could sell balky Republican senators like Ron Johnson of Wisconsin on the Senate health care bill through pleasantries, cajoling and, ultimately, some Oval Office muscle. But Mr. Johnson could not be charmed. He could not be outbargained. And he could not be scared into supporting the measure for the sake of a president whose inability to bend fellow Republicans toward his political will has become a liability for his young presidency. (Thrush and Haberman, 7/20)
NPR:
Fact Check: Trump's Misleading Health Care Remarks To Senate Republicans
President Trump did not do much to sell the Senate health care bill before its failure. But he gave the sale a shot Wednesday in the White House before cameras and a captive audience of nearly all the Republican senators. His comments were at times confusing, and in some cases, outright incorrect. It shows the challenge for a president who doesn't dive deeply into policy to sell his agenda. (Kurtzleben, 7/20)
The Associated Press:
AP-NORC Poll: Negotiate On 'Obamacare,' Don't Just Kill It
Americans overwhelmingly want lawmakers of both parties to work out health care changes, with only 13 percent supporting Republican moves to repeal "Obamacare" absent a replacement, according to a new poll. Although a deep partisan divide endures over the 2010 Affordable Care Act, people may be less far apart on what policymakers should try next, says the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey. (Swanson and Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/19)