After a loss on health-care legislation that was anything but easy, President Trump told a bipartisan group of senators Tuesday night that his next effort to tackle Obamacare will be a cinch.
“I know that we are all going to make a deal on health care,” Mr. Trump said at a White House reception. “That’s such an easy one. I have no doubt that that’s going to happen very quickly. We have all been promising it — Democrat, Republican — to the public.”
The administration lost its first major legislative fight last week when the House failed to agree on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, with dozens of Republicans and all Democrats opposed to the measure. White House aides said Tuesday that staffers have had discussions about ideas for a new bill, but no strategy is in place.
At the party attended by some 55 senators and their spouses, the president also joked that the group was “shockingly bipartisan,” and he suggested he wants to work more with Democrats.
“I have some very special friends in the room,” Mr. Trump said to applause. “We are going to be doing a great job. Hopefully, it will start being bipartisan because everybody really wants the same thing. We want greatness for this country that we love.”
Then, singling out Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, the president said, “I think we are going to have some very good relationships — right, Chuck?”
The president started his remarks by telling lawmakers that he’d just spoken to Defense Secretary James N. Mattis about the battle for Mosul in Iraq. He said Iraqi and U.S. forces are “doing really well” in the fight against Islamic State terrorists.
“I just had long call with Gen. Mattis. We are doing really well in Iraq,” Mr. Trump said. “Our soldiers are fighting, and fighting like never before, and the results are very good, so I just wanted to let everyone know.”
Iraqi forces are taking the lead in the battle for Mosul, an Islamic State stronghold, with U.S. troops serving primarily as advisers.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.