New York Post

NEW HEALTH BILL, STAT!

White House, GOP apply CPR

- By BOB FREDERICKS and MARISA SCHULTZ marisa.schultz@nypost.com

Eager for a legislativ­e victory before President Trump hits his 100th day in office, White House officials and Republican lawmakers plan another health-care showdown next week as they seek to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

The text of a new bill is likely to circulate Friday “or by the weekend,” White House officials say, with the intention of having a vote by midweek, Politico reported.

The White House believes it is “close” to having the votes, one senior official told the Web site.

But a senior GOP aide expressed caution on the timeline.

“The question is whether it can get 216 votes in the House, and the answer isn’t clear at this time,” the aide told The Post. “There is no legislativ­e text and, therefore, no agreement to do a whip count on.”

During a press conference Thursday with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Trump said he’s confident of getting a new health-care plan soon.

“I would like to say next week, but it will be — I believe we will get it, and whether it is next week or shortly thereafter . . .” he said.

He reminded reporters, “Remember, it took [Barack] Obama 17 months” to get ObamaCare enacted.

The rush comes days before Congress returns to Capitol Hill and is an attempt to unite the GOP behind House Speaker Paul Ryan’s embattled American Health Care Act.

The new plan offers concession­s in a bid to persuade the party’s moderate and conservati­ve wings — which both opposed the original bill, forcing Trump and Ryan to cancel a vote on it.

The deal — brokered by centrist Tuesday Group co-chair Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) and staunch conservati­ve Freedom Caucus head Mark Meadows (R-NC) — would give states more flexibilit­y to opt out of ObamaCare provisions that preserve protection­s like the law’s ban on discrimina­tion against people with pre-existing conditions, Politico reported.

The warring factions have struggled to find a way forward, and even the deal being floated now relies largely on rehashing concepts lawmakers had already rejected.

Trump has made clear he wants progress fast on health-care re- peal and replace — a campaign promise that he said would be completed on “Day One” but that has remained bogged down nearing April 29, the 100th day of his presidency.

The latest effort also comes just days before the high-stakes deadline next Friday to fund the government.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States