President Trump in an interview broadcast early Thursday again maintained that Republicans have enough votes to repeal ObamaCare and repeated his claim that a hospitalized GOP senator is preventing a vote before Friday.
“We have the votes, but reconciliation is a disaster. But as you know, it ends on Friday. So we don’t have enough time, because we have one senator who’s a yes vote, a great person, but he’s in the hospital,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” in the interview, which was taped Wednesday in Indiana.
“And he’s a yes vote. So we can’t do it by Friday. So we have the votes. We will do it some time at the beginning of the year, but prior to the election in November.”
The lawmaker Trump mentions appears to be Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), who said Wednesday that he is not hospitalized but recovering at home.
Trump earlier Wednesday had made a reference to a senator in the hospital on Twitter, arguing Republicans have enough votes to pass health-care reform despite repeatedly failing to do so.
“With one Yes vote in hospital & very positive signs from Alaska and two others (McCain is out), we have the HCare Vote, but not for Friday!” the president wrote on Twitter.
After speculation swirled over Trump’s comment, Cochran issued a statement Wednesday about his health.
“Thanks for the well-wishes. I’m not hospitalized, but am recuperating at home in Mississippi and look forward to returning to work soon,” Cochran tweeted.
Cochran’s office said the senator is being treated for a urological issue and “expects to resume his regular work schedule soon.”
Republican Senate leaders this week chose not to have a vote on the latest ObamaCare repeal bill due to its lack of support among several GOP senators.