For the first time, Trump calls for short-term Obamacare fix

From wire services

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threw his weight Monday behind a measure to fix parts of Obamacare, the first time he has voiced approval of a specific legislative approach to do so and an abrupt turnaround on a bipartisan effort to preserve key elements of the health care system that he has sought to repeal.

Mr. Trump’s backing of what he repeatedly referred to as a “short-term fix” to ensure “good health care” came during remarks in which he sought to mend relations with GOP leaders.

Appearing with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after a White House lunch, Mr. Trump pledged to try to at least partially rein in his former strategist Steve Bannon, who has vowed to challenge incumbent Republicans in 2018. He also lauded GOP successes in confirming judicial nominees and promised swift approval of tax reform.

“The relationship is very good,” Mr. Trump said of his relationship with Mr. McConnell. The tone contrasted with the barbs Mr. Trump has tossed toward the Kentucky senator.

But it was Mr. Trump’s comments on health care that could be the most immediately consequential.

For most of his presidency, Mr. Trump has insisted that the Affordable Care Act could not be fixed.

Monday’s remarks, after a weekend phone call with Sen. Lamar Alexander, RTenn., the Health Committee chairman, who has been negotiating for weeks on a bipartisan health care measure, headed in a strikingly different direction.

Honoring the fallen

Mr. Trump falsely asserted Monday that previous presidents did not contact the families of American troops killed in duty.

Mr. Trump was responding to a question about why he had not spoken publicly about the killing of four U.S. Green Berets in an ambush in Niger two weeks ago when he made the assertion.

Corporate tax cuts

By slashing corporate tax rates, the Trump administration said Monday, the average U.S. household will get about $4,000 more a year.