HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump Wednesday [10-18-17] morning said he would ‘never support bailing out’ health insurance companies — an ominous sign for the Obamacare deal crafted by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.)…
It would be all but impossible for Republicans lawmakers to support the deal — let alone bring it up for a vote in the House or Senate — without Trump’s endorsement. Republicans, still smarting from their failure to fulfill their years-long promise to repeal Obamacare, would have an extremely hard time voting for anything perceived as supporting the law without political cover from the president.
Throughout the day Tuesday, Trump sent mixed signals on whether he would support the bipartisan Obamacare deal, which aims to stabilize the law’s insurance marketplaces. Early Tuesday, he suggested the White House was involved in the legislation and praised the work by lawmakers. In the evening, he commended the work but trashed the idea of a ‘bailout.’
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday blasted Trump for not knowing what was in the Obamacare deal and said his only hope was that Trump would quickly reverse course to support it.”
-Jennifer Haberkorn, “Trump says he would ‘never’ support insurance bailout,” Politico, Oct. 18, 2017 10:53am