WASHINGTON — Reeling from a major blow to his legislative agenda, President Trump blamed Democrats on Friday after House Republicans rescinded their bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
He insisted it wasn’t an immediate priority anyway.
Here is an assessment of his claims.
Mr. Trump denied that he promised to repeal the health law quickly.
False. Mr. Trump has, of course, repeatedly vowed to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature legislative achievement.
While Mr. Trump never specified doing so within 64 days, killing the health care law was part of his 100-day plan, released in October, and he often promised an even more urgent timeline during the 2016 presidential campaign.
At a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, in October 2015, Mr. Trump said repealing the health law would be the “first thing” he would do as president.
“We will immediately repeal and replace Obamacare — and nobody can do that like me. We will save $’s and have much better health care!” he wrote on Twitter in February 2016.
“When we win on Nov. 8th and elect a Republican Congress, we will be able to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare,” he said at a rally in November in Valley Forge, Pa.
Mr. Trump blamed the failure of the G.O.P.’s health care bill on the Democrats.
This is misleading.
Democrats have been united in their opposition since the beginning of the fight to repeal and replace the health law. But Republicans did not need Democratic support to pass their legislation.
Republicans needed 215 votes in the House to pass the bill. They have 237 out of the 435 seats, meaning they could afford only 22 party defections. Before the bill was pulled, 33 Republicans were opposed.
The White House did not immediately respond when asked if Mr. Trump ever tried courting Democratic members in the House.
Mr. Trump claimed Obamacare was ‘exploding.’
This is exaggerated. As Reed Abelson and Margot Sanger-Katz have reported for The Upshot,
the Affordable Care Act’s insurance markets are not “exploding,” “imploding,” “failing,” “collapsing” or in a “death spiral.”
And for more of his lies cont.
Fact Check: Trump
Must be the worst liar in history!
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