Trump scolds U.S. Republicans on healthcare; CBO sees 32 million uninsured

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump took Senate Republicans to task yesterday for failing to reach agreement on overhauling Obamacare, as a new report showed 32 million Americans would lose health insurance if senators opt to repeal the law without a replacement.

Trump gathered 49 Republican senators on Wednesday for a White House lunch after a bill to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act collapsed on Monday after dissent from a handful of the party’s conservatives and moderates.

After Trump’s exhortation, party members met on Capitol Hill with Vice President Mike Pence to try to come together on a major Republican campaign promise for the past seven years - undoing former Democratic President Barack Obama’s signature legislation, popularly known as Obamacare.

After taking a hands-off approach to the healthcare debate last week and suggesting on Tuesday that he was fine with letting Obamacare fail, Trump on Wednesday demanded senators stay in Washington through their planned August recess until they find common ground on healthcare.

“We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace, and we shouldn’t leave town until this is complete,” Trump said at the meeting.

Trump made the repeal and replacement of Obamacare, which he has called a “disaster,” a central promise of his 2016 campaign.

Even with Trump’s new push, Senate leaders faced a difficult task getting moderates and conservatives to agree on an overhaul that could pass the chamber.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had planned to hold a straight repeal vote next week, but several Republican senators have already said they oppose that approach.