Orlando Sentinel

Senate majority leader: Waiting for Trump clarity on health care

- By Jill Colvin

STERLING, Va. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday he’s willing to bring bipartisan health care legislatio­n to the floor if President Donald Trump makes clear he supports it.

A proposal by two senators — Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington — would extend for two years federal insurance payments that Trump has blocked, in an effort to stabilize insurance markets.

But Trump has offered mixed signals, alternatel­y praising and condemning the effort — confusing Democrats and Republican­s alike.

Asked whether he would bring the bill to the floor McConnell said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he was waiting “to hear from President Trump what kind of health care bill he might sign.”

“If there’s a need for some kind of interim step here to stabilize the market, we need a bill the president will actually sign. And I’m not certain yet what the president is looking for here, but I will be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I know President Trump would sign it,” the Republican said. He added of Trump: “I think he hasn’t made a final decision.”

The plan unveiled last week likely has 60 votes in the Senate, mostly from Democrats, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday urged McConnell to bring it to the floor “immediatel­y, this week.”

“This is a good compromise,” Schumer said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He predicted it would pass “by a large number of votes.”

Trump at first suggested he supported the temporary fix as he continues to hold out hope for the passage of legislatio­n that would repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which Republican­s who control the House and Senate have repeatedly failed to achieve. But White House officials said later that Trump would sign an interim bill only that also lifts the tax penalties that Obama’s health care law imposes on people who don’t buy coverage and employers who don’t offer plans to employees. The White House also wants provisions making it easier for people to buy lowpremium policies with less coverage. Top Senate Democrats reject those demands.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Trump doesn’t want to back a plan “without also getting something for folks who are being hurt.”

“I think there’s actually a pretty good chance to get a deal,” he added. “It’s just Murray-Alexander in its current form probably isn’t far enough yet.”

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