President Trump said on Wednesday that Sen. Dean Healler, R-Nev., “wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?” while sitting next to him at a lunch to discuss the repeal of Obamacare with Senate Republicans.
“This was the one we were worried about. You weren’t there. But you’re going to be, you’re going to be. Look, he wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?” Trump said gesturing to Heller.
Heller is facing a challenging 2018 re-election in Nevada, a state Hillary Clinton won by more than 2 percent in the 2016 presidential election. A pro-Trump group launched an ad against Heller in June, after he opposed the first draft of the GOP Senate healthcare bill.
“I think the people of your state, I think they are going to appreciate what you hopefully will do. Any senator who votes against starting debate is really telling America that you are fine with Obamacare,” Trump said.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., came out against the new draft of the Senate healthcare bill on Monday night, preventing the bill from reaching the 50 votes needed to proceed. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, had previously said they would not support the bill.
“The other night I was very surprised when I heard a couple of my friends, my friends, they really were and are,” Trump said. “They might not be very much longer but that’s okay. I think I have to get them back.”
Without the support needed to move the Senate healthcare bill forward Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., attempted to pass a simple repeal of Obamacare. Republican Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine said on Wednesday that they would not support the repeal without a replacement stopping the bill from proceeding.
“We have no choice. We have to repeal and replace Obamacare. We can repeal it, but the best is repeal and replace,” Trump said.
