President Trump is not as concerned as Senate Republicans about passing a GOP healthcare bill by the end of next week, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday.
“I don’t think we’re as focused on the timeline as we are on the final product,” Sanders told reporters at the White House.
GOP senators hope to pass the Obamacare reform legislation before they leave Washington for the July 4th recess. However, it is unclear if enough Republican lawmakers will support the bill to ensure its passage. Republicans are using a process called reconciliation to pass the bill, which will sidestep Democratic filibuster attempts but require at least 50 GOP votes for the legislation.
Democrats, meanwhile, have criticized the plan published Thursday for cutting Medicaid and leaving too many people without health insurance. Trump promised during the presidential race to avoid changes to Medicaid.
“I don’t believe that the president has specifically weighed in that it’s right to cut Medicaid,” Sanders said.
She slammed Democrats for their refusal to work with Republicans on healthcare reform.
“If Democrats really cared, they would try to be involved in the process,” Sanders said.
“I think that it’s sad that they’ve tried to played partisan politics instead of trying to have a seat at the table,” she added.
Trump said earlier Thursday that he anticipated additional negotiations over the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.
