HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A bipartisan proposal on health care teetered Wednesday [10-18-17] after President Donald Trump withdrew his support and conservative GOP lawmakers said it didn’t do enough to roll back the Affordable Care Act.
The two senators behind the deal, Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D., Wash.), remained publicly upbeat about the bill’s prospects despite the president’s conflicting statements…
In previous days, the president had expressed public support, calling the proposal a ‘very good solution’ on Tuesday. Before Mr. Trump sent Wednesday’s tweet, the GOP president called Mr. Alexander privately to encourage him to get the agreement done, the senator said.
Mr. Trump’s comments on Wednesday cheered conservatives, troubled some Republicans who support the bill and left many Democratic lawmakers frustrated. Some Capitol Hill aides said they thought Mr. Trump’s remarks might be a negotiating tactic to get more concessions from Democrats, and GOP lawmakers began looking at potential changes that might ultimately get the president’s backing.
The White House disputed the notion that the president was changing his mind. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the administration had ‘said all along’ it wouldn’t favor a bill that was a gift to insurance companies.”
-Stephanie Armour and Kristina Peterson, “Trump Signals Opposition to Bipartisan Health-Care Deal,” The Wall Street Journal online, Oct. 18, 2017 11:19am