Democrats should bear responsibility for the failure of Senate Republicans’ healthcare reform bill, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday.
“They’re responsible for being unwilling to work with Republicans in any capacity” on fixing Obamacare’s flaws, Sanders told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
“The failure of Obamacare, I think, rests solely on the shoulders of Democrats,” Sanders said, echoing President Trump’s argument earlier Tuesday that Republicans would not “own” the eventual failure of the Affordable Care Act.
Sanders’ comments came one day after two additional Republican senators announced their opposition to the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Senate’s now-defunct Obamacare reform legislation.
Trump will “continue to have ongoing, regular, consistent contact with members of Congress” as lawmakers proceed to tax reform and grapple with the future of Obamacare repeal, Sanders said.
“Ideally, some Democrats will want to participate in the process moving forward on a number of issues, including tax reform,” she said.
But the White House spokeswoman declined to specify when the administration expects GOP lawmakers to settle on a healthcare strategy.
“We’re less focused on the timetable and making sure we actually get it right and get it done,” Sanders said.
Trump said earlier Tuesday that he believed the path forward for Republicans would involve allowing Obamacare to collapse on its own and then waiting for Democrats to come to the table for healthcare negotiations.
However, Sanders avoided spelling out what actions the administration might take to hasten the system’s collapse.
“I don’t think the White House needs to do anything for the failure to continue,” she said.
