Trump renews call for full repeal of Obamacare before replacement after healthcare setback

With the Senate GOP’s healthcare bill lacking the votes to pass, President Trump on Monday night called on Republican senators to pursue a full repeal of Obamacare.

“Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate,” Trump tweeted. “Dems will join in!”

Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., jointly announced Monday night that they will oppose a vote to open debate on the Senate GOP’s bill to repeal and replace parts of Obamacare, which means Republicans currently do not have the votes to advance the legislation in its current form.

With Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, already coming out against advancing the healthcare bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., no longer has the votes he needs from at least 50 of 52 Republicans.

Trump’s call for Republicans to pursue a repeal before a replacement echoes a similar statement he made late last month.

“If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL and then REPLACE at a later date,” Trump tweeted on June 30.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus made the same appeal Monday night, urging for a new effort to fully repeal Obamacare.

“Time for full repeal of #Obamacare — let’s put the same thing on President Trump’s desk that we put on President Obama’s desk,” tweeted Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, added on Twitter “no more waiting. Americans sent us here 2 repeal Obamacare.”

Paul tweeted his support for “Clean repeal now!”

Lee echoed that the country and the president “deserve a real repeal bill. We’ll keep fighting until we get one.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday renewed his call for Republicans and Democrats to work together on healthcare, but his vision for bipartisanship looks nothing like what Trump asked for.

“This second failure of Trumpcare is proof positive that the core of this bill is unworkable,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement Monday night. “Rather than repeating the same failed, partisan process yet again, Republicans should start from scratch and work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides long term stability to the markets and improves our health care system.”

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