McConnell: ‘We’re going to stick with’ ObamaCare repeal and replace despite Trump tweet

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters on Friday that the Senate will continue to pursue a joint repeal and replace of ObamaCare, despite President Trump’s tweet urging a clean repeal followed by a later replacement.

The Associated Press reported Friday that McConnell said he has no plans to abandon the current bill being considered by Senate Republicans.

“We are going to stick with that path,” McConnell said at an event in Kentucky. “Failure has to be possible or you can’t have success.”

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Trump on Friday floated the idea of repealing ObamaCare now and replacing it later.

“If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!” he tweeted, a course of action that moderate Republicans rejected earlier this year.

McConnell said he’s still working to get to 50 votes for the bill. This week, McConnell and other Senate GOP leaders announced that the vote would be delayed until after the July 4 recess.

We’re “trying to figure out how to twist the dials to get to 50 to replace this with something better,” McConnell told reporters. The original version of the Senate’s healthcare legislation, unveiled last week, did not have the support it needed among Republicans to pass. No Democrats support the bill.

“It’s not easy making America great again, is it,” he added.

McConnell has a steep hill to climb to get the Senate’s version of the ObamaCare repeal passed. Republicans only hold a slim 52-48 majority in the upper chamber, and nine GOP senators have already announced their opposition to the bill in its current form.

“We made good progress,” McConnell told reporters Tuesday.

“Everyone around the table is interested in getting to yes — is interested in getting an outcome,” he said.

“We know the status quo is simply unacceptable, unsustainable and no action is just not an option.”