Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell listens as Donald Trump speaks (File)


Donald Trump bails out of his mythical replacement for ObamaCare, after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told him there was no prospect of getting a proposal through Congress before the 2020 Presidential election.

Trump, who repeatedly failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017, had repeatedly declared that Republicans would present an alternative. Only last week he blustered on Twitter, “The Republican Party will become ‘The Party of Healthcare!’….Moving forward in Courts and Legislatively!”.

But McConnell warned Trump that the Senate would not consider any proposal: “I made it clear to him that we were not going to be doing that….I pointed out to him the Senate Republicans’ view on dealing with comprehensive health care reform with a Democratic House of Representatives.”

Trump retreated in a series of tweets: “Vote will be taken right after the Election when Republicans hold the Senate & win back the House.”

He put out a series of questionable statements, in light of his past remarks and proposals, that he would present “a really great HealthCare Plan with far lower premiums (cost) & deductibles” and that “Republicans will always support [coverage of] Pre-Existing Conditions”.

Speaking to reporters, Trump returned to the tactic of attacking ObamaCare, despite its coverage of tens of millions of Americans who were uninsured before 2009: “I see what the Democrats are doing; it’s a disaster what they’re planning and everyone knows it.”

He added another false declaration, “You’re going to lose 180 million people under their private insurance.”

Trump denied that McConnell blocked his move:

I wanted to delay it myself….If we get back the House and on the assumption we keep the Senate and we keep the Presidency — which I hope are two good assumptions — we’re going to have a phenomenal health care.

The Administration set up the latest assault on ObamaCare last week, asking a federal appeals court to rule the Affordable Care Act is invalid.

TrumpWatch, Day 796: Trump Administration Tries to End ObamaCare Through Courts

But, in a conference call with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, and Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said they could not understand the Administration’s tactics.

The House will vote this week on a resolution urging the Justice Department’s reversal to defend ObamaCare in court.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “The American people deserve to know exactly where their representatives stand on the Trump administration’s vicious campaign to take away their health care.”

Sen. Rick Scott, whom Trump said was one of his point men on health care, said Tuesday that he would concentrate on legislation to reduce the cost of prescription drugs — an aim shared by Democrats.

Asked about Trump’s declaration of a vote to bury ObamaCare after the election, Scott responded: “I think you’d have to ask the President. I know what I’m going to focus on. I’m going to focus on drug prices.”