Trump pressures GOP senators to pass healthcare bill in tweetstorm while rolling up to Bastille Day parade in France
"After all of these years of suffering thru ObamaCare, Republican Senators must come through as they have promised!" Trump tweeted.
Senate Republican leadership released the updated draft of its healthcare bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), on Thursday. The draft was little changed from the original version released two weeks ago, but some tweaks were aimed at winning over conservative members.
Already, two GOP lawmakers have said they will not vote yes on a key procedural measure next week. One more defection would sink the bill.
Trump, who campaigned on a promise to repeal Obamacare, urged the lawmakers to send him a bill to sign.
"Republicans Senators are working hard to get their failed ObamaCare replacement approved," Trump said. "I will be at my desk, pen in hand!"
A group of moderate lawmakers have taken issue with deep proposed cuts to the federal Medicaid program, an issue that was not addressed in the newly updated BCRA.
For the bill to pass, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needs to win over some of those moderate skeptics, a fact Trump alluded to in his tweets.
"So impt Rep Senators, under leadership of @SenateMajLdr McConnell get healthcare plan approved," Trump tweeted. "After 7yrs of O'Care disaster, must happen!"
Trump also commended Vice President Mike Pence for leading the White House efforts on the bill while Trump has visited France over the past two days.
".@VP Mike Pence is working hard on HealthCare and getting our wonderful Republican Senators to do what is right for the people," Trump said.
The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported that the last in the series of tweets came just before Trump stepped out of his motorcade to attend the Bastille Day celebration in Paris, France, with French President Emmanuel Macron.