President Trump did not offer clarity on his position about a bill to stabilize Obamacare when he dined with Republicans for lunch Tuesday, senators said.
“We really didn’t get into details on that,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who added that Trump received several standing ovations during the lunch, discussing topics from infrastructure to tax reform.
Trump has offered mixed support for the bill, which was co-sponsored by 24 senators from both parties, and would offer states more flexibility on how to implement Obamacare in exchange for insurance payments known as cost-sharing reduction subsidies. Trump abruptly ended the payments this month.
The legislation was led by Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and its top-ranking Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray. Trump recently released a list of improvements he would like to see to the legislation, and leaders of two major House and Senate committees released a competing bill that would fund payments in exchange for delaying Obamacare’s employer and individual mandates.
Trump in recent weeks has said that a bill must be a short-term solution to the troubles Obamacare faces and that Republicans should not abandon their promise to repeal and replace the law. He reiterated that stance during the lunch, said Maine Sen. Susan Collins.
Alexander appeared optimistic his bill with Murray may be considered.
“It looks to me like it is the kind of bill that towards the end of the year will be discussed by the president and the Senate and the House leaders,” he said. “Hopefully, we have given them something to work with.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate has enough votes to guarantee passage, but a good proportion of the House has rejected it, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he would like clarity from Trump about whether he supports the bill. Senators did not appear to know by the end of lunch Tuesday whether the president would offer his support.
“He just encouraged us to keep working on it, and made it clear he appreciated what Sen. Alexander did,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
• Robert King contributed to this report.
