Trump’s Negotiator-In-Chief Efforts Haven’t Been Exactly Welcomed In Senate Push
President Donald Trump cajoled and arm-twisted House members into shouldering through a bill, but he's been mostly sidelined during the Senate negotiations. Meanwhile, Trump said it was "OK" if the upper chamber doesn't manage to pass a bill.
The New York Times:
On Senate Health Bill, Trump Falters In The Closer’s Role
President Trump began his all-hands meeting with Republican senators at the White House on Tuesday by saying they were “very close” to passing a health care bill, just as efforts to fast-track a vote this week collapsed. If Republicans do manage to broker a deal — as Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, pledged to do during a lively East Room back-and-forth with the president — it is not likely to be because of Mr. Trump’s involvement. Until Tuesday afternoon, the president was largely on the sidelines as the fate of one of his most important campaign pledges played out. (Thrush and Martin, 6/27)
The Washington Post:
Who’s Afraid Of Trump? Not Enough Republicans — At Least For Now.
Scrambling to line up support for the Republican health-care bill, President Trump got on the phone Monday with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and urged him to back the measure. The president’s personal plea was not enough. On Tuesday, Lee said he would vote against the bill. Senate GOP leaders later postponed the planned health-care vote because too many other Republican senators also opposed — for now, at least — legislation that would deliver on Trump’s campaign promise to scale back the law known as Obamacare. (Rucker, Costa and Parker, 6/27)
The Associated Press:
Trump On Healthcare Bill: 'If We Don't Get It Done ... That's OK'
President Trump said that if the healthcare bill fails to pass in the Senate, he won't like it — but "that's OK." Trump spoke Tuesday at a gathering of Senate Republicans after their leaders delayed a vote on their healthcare bill until at least next month. Trump said, "This will be great if we get it done and if we don't get it done it's going to be something that we're not going to like and that's OK and I can understand that." (6/27)
Politico:
Trump: Obamacare Repeal Bill 'Will Be Great, If We Get It Done'
“But I think we have a chance to do something very, very important for the public, very, very important for the people of our country that we love,” he added, before asking reporters to leave the meeting. (Conway, 6/27)
The Hill:
Trump: Senate GOP 'Very Close' To Agreement On Health Bill
President Trump said Tuesday afternoon that Senate Republicans are getting “very close” to passing their embattled plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, but added that if it fails, “that’s OK.” “I think the Senate bill is going to be great,” Trump said during a photo-op ahead of a meeting with nearly every Republican senator at the White House. “So we’re going to talk and we’re going to see what we can do. But we’re getting very close." (Fabian, 6/27)
Roll Call:
Rand Paul Says Trump Open To His Health Care Ideas
Sen. Rand Paul came away from a meeting on Tuesday with President Donald Trump thinking that the administration would be willing to move the health care reconciliation package in his direction. Paul has called for more of a straight repeal of the 2010 health care law, rather than the partial repeal and replace represented by the measure crafted by Senate GOP leaders. He was not so sure how open Senate GOP leaders would be to his changes to the proposal to roll back the 2010 health care law, however. (Lesniewski, 6/27)
