The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Setback for Trump in bid to repeal ‘Obamacare’
USA: Key vote to defeat measure cast by Arizona Senator John McCain
Senators in the US have rejected a measure to repeal parts of former president Barack Obama’s healthcare law after a night of suspense, dealing a serious blow to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
As they were unable to pass even a “skinny repeal”, it is unclear whether Senate Republicans can advance any health bill despite seven years of promises to repeal ‘Obamacare’.
“This is clearly a disappointing moment,” said majority leader Mitch McConnell.
“I regret that our efforts were not enough, this time. It’s time to move on.”
Mr McConnell put the health bill on hold and announced the Senate would move on to other legislation next week.
Mr Trump responded on Twitter: “3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!”
A key vote to defeat the measure was cast by Arizona Senator John McCain, who returned to the Senate this week after receiving a diagnosis of brain cancer.
In an impassioned speech on the day he returned, he had called for bipartisanship on issues of national concern, and a return to the “regular order” of legislating by committee.
Three Republicans joined with all Democrats to reject the amendment, which would have repealed a mandate that most individuals get health insurance and suspended a requirement that large companies provide coverage to their employees.
It would have also delayed a tax on medical devices and denied funding to Planned Parenthood for a year. The final vote was 49-51. Later last night Mr Trump named General John Kelly, who currently heads the Department of Homeland Security, as his next chief of staff.
The announcement, made over Twitter yesterday, effectively removed Reince Priebus from the role.
Anthony Scaramucci, who was appointed communications director one week ago, had accused Mr Priebus of leaking to the press in a tweet that he quickly deleted.
It is hard to see where the increasingly-chaotic Donald Trump administration turns after defeat on one of the President’s key election pledges. As Republican candidate, Trump promised he would sweep away so-called Obamacare “immediately”.
He and his supporters staked their reputations on the removal of the – in some quarters – hated “socialist” healthcare system set up under his predecessor.
By the narrowest of margins, the Senate refused to back measures to repeal the system. Crucially, a trio of Republicans joined with their Democrat counterparts to defeat their own President’s desires by just two votes.
Among them was Senator John McCain, a man subjected to cruel barbs by Mr Trump who said he was not a war hero as he had been captured by the enemy.
Suffering brain cancer, the Arizona 80-year-old ensured he was in Washington to serve up his revenge, if such it was.
It is the latest setback for the American President and his solution – to let current provision “implode” before picking up the pieces – is as childish as it is impractical.
This is more than a mere distracting sideshow for observers on this side of the Atlantic.
With post-Brexit European trade deal talks on hold, the UK Government is casting its net worldwide for alternatives and the US should have been a key partner.
Such chaos in the White House does not help at a time when the UK is also seeking some certainty.