President Trump said Tuesday Republicans “can’t run away from healthcare” as a political issue and must campaign on a comprehensive reform plan ahead of the 2020 election.
“You’re going to win your elections because of healthcare,” Trump said during a dinner in Washington hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
[Related: Trump says no Obamacare vote until after 2020 election]
Trump did not provide specifics about the healthcare plan he wants Republicans to run on, but he said it must be more useful than Obamacare and protect people with preexisting conditions.
“We’re going to come up with a healthcare plan. We are not going to vote on it until after the election. We are all going to promise it’s going to be our first vote. Because we blew it the last time. Man, I was sold a bill of goods,” Trump said, referring to failed efforts to “repeal and replace” Obamacare.
Trump said he wants the GOP plan to be “far less costly than Obamacare with deductibles that are far lower,” and jeered fellow Republicans who don’t want to force health insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions, as required by Obamacare.
“The Republican Party will be the champion of preexisting conditions. You have to do it. Some of you like it, some of you don’t, but you’re going to have to like it — not only for politics, it’s the right thing,” Trump said.
Last week, Trump asked a trio of senators to craft a GOP healthcare plan after significant backlash to a Justice Department court filing asking for the entirety of Obamacare to be struck down. The White House also is working with outside groups on a proposal. A core part of Obamacare, a requirement that all Americans purchase insurance, was eliminated by Congress in 2017.
Trump argued Tuesday Republicans can’t avoid the healthcare debate, which he said currently favors Democrats, who increasingly support a single-payer health system.
“If we stay away from that subject we’re going to lose, we’re going to lose. We can’t stay away. It’s too important,” Trump said. “We’ll be the party of healthcare. Republicans should not run away from healthcare. You can’t do it. You are going to get clobbered.”
