Trump says upcoming health vote is GOP’s chance to keep vow

A peeved President Donald Trump browbeat Republican opponents of his party’s reeling health care bill Monday, asserting that his predecessor’s signature overhaul has meant “death’’ and saying the Senate’s planned faceoff vote is their chance to keep their pledge to repeal it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’d call a pivotal vote Tuesday on beginning debate on the legislation, a roll call that seemed likely to go badly for the GOP. He said he’s “made a commitment to the people I represent’’ to undo President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, in what seemed a pointed reminder to Republican senators that they’ve made the same vow.

McConnell, R-Ky., did not describe precisely what version of the GOP legislation senators would be voting on. That omission has caused confusion and frustration among some Republican senators, though others have said they expect McConnell to clarify that by the time voting begins.

At the White House, Trump lambasted Democrats who helped enact the 2010 health care law and now uniformly oppose the GOP attempt to scrap and rewrite it.

“They run out and say, ‘Death, death, death,’’’ Trump said, with a backdrop of families that he said have encountered problems getting affordable, reliable medical coverage because of Obama’s statute. “Well, Obamacare is death. That’s the one that’s death.’’

Some Democrats have said the GOP repeal effort would lead to death for patients who lose coverage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said various versions of the legislation would mean more than 20 million Americans would become uninsured by 2026.