Donald Trump to negotiate with Democrats on healthcare law

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he will negotiate with Democrats to move forward on a new healthcare law to replace Obamacare.

He announced that he was preparing an executive order to give people more freedom when buying medical insurance.

Before flying to Indiana, where on Wednesday he will deliver a speech about his tax reform plan, Trump talked with reporters and insisted that the Republicans “have the votes” to approve a new healthcare law in Congress, Efe reported.

“With one Yes vote in hospital & very positive signs from Alaska and two others (Mccain is out), we have the Hcare Vote, but not for Friday!” Trump had tweeted. The Republican leadership in the Senate has found itself forced to rule out a vote this week on the latest GOP plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the signature legislation of former President Barack Obama, due to a lack of support on their side of the aisle.

Republican Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi is in his home state recovering from a “urological issue,” but a spokesman said that he is not hospitalised. Despite Trump’s claim, even with Cochran’s “yes” vote there is apparently not enough support among Republicans to pass the Graham-cassidy bill, given that three GOP senators —John Mccain, Rand Paul and Susan Collins — have all said they would vote “no.”

The GOP Senate leadership had wanted to vote on the new bill — sponsored by Lindsay Graham and Bill Cassidy — this week to get it passed prior to September 30, which is the deadline for approving any legislation with only a simple majority. KABUL: At least 12 Afghan police were killed and four wounded when a Humvee packed with explosives drove into their checkpoint in the southern province of Kandahar late on Wednesday, a government official said.

Abdul Bari Baryalai, a spokesman for the provincial government, said the attack took place in Maruf district, bordering Pakistan.

The attack, in one of the Taliban’s heartlands, underlines the threats faced by Afghan security forces, notably police units on the front lines of the battle against insurgents who control or contest about 40 percent of Afghanistan.

The incident came on the same day when Suicide bombers and militants fired mortars attacked Kabul’s airport during a visit by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday, prompting a US air strike that accidentally killed civilians, officials said.

The clashes and casualties overshadowed a visit intended to demonstrate US support for the Afghan government and provided a sharp reminder of the risks associated with a more aggressive US policy that is expected to increase the number of air strikes.

Hours after Mattis touched down in Kabul, militants fired high explosive ammunitions.