Headlining a record fundraiser for House Republicans, President Trump urged lawmakers Tuesday night to approve a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, saying the contested measure provides “conservative solutions.”
“The American people gave us clear instructions — it’s time to get busy, get to work and to get the job done,” Mr. Trump said at the event in Washington. “That legislative effort beings with Thursday’s crucial vote. It really is crucial vote for the Republican Party and for the people of our country.”
The House will vote Thursday on a health-care bill that would replace Obamacare with a system of tax credits to pay for health insurance for those who qualify. Passage of the measure is in doubt, with some conservatives and nearly all Democrats opposed.
The president tried to address conservatives’ misgivings by saying the health-care bill provides more freedom for consumers.
“The House bill ends the Obamacare nightmare and gives health-care decisions back to the states and back to the American people,” Mr. Trump said. “These are the conservative solutions we campaigned on. And these are the conservative solutions the American people asked us as a group to deliver.”
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, noted that the floor vote is scheduled for the seventh anniversary of Democrats approving Obamacare in 2010.
“I don’t know about you, I think seven years is long enough,” Mr. Ryan said. “On Thursday, we should go out and deliver on our promise.”
The fundraiser garnered a record $30.1 million for the National Republican Campaign Committee, the campaign arm for House Republicans.
The president didn’t address the 2018 elections at the event, but he and his aides said earlier in the day that Republican lawmakers could lose their majorities in Congress next year if they don’t follow through on their promise to repeal Obamacare.
Mr. Trump also said passage of the health-care bill would provide momentum for the rest of his agenda, including tax cuts and a massive infrastructure rebuilding plan.
“A new era of American greatness is just beginning,” the president said. “The time for action is now. This is the moment when great deeds are done. Anything is possible if we stand together united and strong.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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