 "US President Donald Trump signs an executive order on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. File image/Reuters")
US President Donald Trump suggested that Senate Republicans should abolish Obamacare and reroute federal health care spending directly to individual Americans instead. Trump proposed the idea in a post on TruthSocial on Saturday.
“I am recommending to S enate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” the American leader said in a statement.
“In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare,” he added. Trump’s post marked his latest push to revive his long-running campaign against the Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare. The Act was the centrepiece of former US President Barack Obama’s legacy.
The GOP’s criticism of the programme
Trump and Republicans have been criticising the program for the longest time, especially amid the US government shutdown. The GOP argues that the programme drives up costs and enriches insurance companies at taxpayers’ expense. Interestingly, Trump has spent much of his first term trying to repeal the law.
Meanwhile, Obama and Democrats argue that the initiative made health care more available and affordable for millions of Americans. US Congress continues to remain in a deadlock over government funding, with health-care programs and insurer subsidies among the major budget sticking points fueling the shutdown.
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson on Thursday told reporters that he would not commit to holding a vote on extending COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year if Congress does not take any action on them.
In the midst of this, Senate Majority Leader John Thune had been floating a vote on such an extension in exchange for Democrats voting to end the shutdown. The issue of enhanced Obamacare subsidies has been a matter of debate within the GOP.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRepublicans in more moderate districts have been calling for at least a year-long extension to give lawmakers time to create a new healthcare deal in its place. Meanwhile, Trump has also called on Republicans to end the filibuster, the procedural rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation.