It looks like the republican President Donald Trump is inclined for now to back the bi-partisan healthcare bill sponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TENN.) and Patty Murray (D-WASH.). Both went public today (10/17/17) with their compromise legislation but it was not immediately embraced by the US Senate GOP leaders, leaving its prospects in doubt.

The president was surprisingly supportive of this bill when he was questioned about it during today’s (10/17/17) Rose Garden press conference and according to Senator Lamar Alexander, the president was encouraging him during this past weekend’s  phone conversations between both of them.

But this overture of good will was short lived. It appears that later, White House staffers started walking back, the degree of the president’s approval.

It is time for us who are part of the resistance to start contacting our US Congress representatives: Find Your Representative · House.gov – U.S. House of Representatives

TO FAX:  Resistbot will do it all for you. Text “RESIST” to 50409 or message Resistbot on Facebook and it will walk you through the steps to fax your Senator and will tell you when your fax has been delivered.

The main US Senate phone line 202-225-3121 (202-224-3121) or  YOU CAN FIND PHONE NUMBERS FOR EVERY SENATOR HERE. or U.S. Senate: Senators of the 115th Congress.

HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY…

On October 17, 2017, Sean Sullivan and Juliette Eilperin of the Washington Post penned the following report, “Key senators reach bipartisan health-care subsidy deal, and Trump expresses support.”

Excerpts:

“A pair of leading Republican and Democratic senators reached an agreement Tuesday (10/17/17) to fund key federal health-care subsidies that President Trump ended last week — and the president expressed support for the plan.”

“The compromise from Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) would provide states with greater flexibility under the Affordable Care Act in exchange for authorizing cost-sharing reduction payments known as CSRs for two years. Those payments help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for low-income consumers who obtain insurance under the Affordable Care Act.”

“Yes, we have been involved and this is a short-term deal because we think ultimately block grants going to the states is going to be the answer,” said Trump. His comments came just days after he moved to end the payments and punt the issued to Congress.”

“Republican leaders did not immediate embrace the plan, raising new questions about whether it would find any traction.”

“Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon (10/17/17), Alexander said the deal he has struck with Murray would extend CSR payments for two years and provide states “meaningful flexibility” under the ACA’s existing 1332 waiver program. He said the proposal would offer states greater freedom by allowing them to make changes to insurance offerings as long as the plans had “comparable affordability,” which is a slightly looser definition than the existing one.”

“The proposal would also allow insurers to offer catastrophic insurance plans to consumers aged 30 and older on ACA exchanges, while maintaining a single risk pool. To speed the approval of 1332 waivers, it would shorten the time period for federal review of state waiver applications, expedite review for states in emergency circumstances and those with waiver proposals that have already been approved for other states, and allow governors to approve state waiver applications rather than requiring state legislative approval. It also would assess the budget impact of any state proposal over the life of the waiver, rather than on an annual basis.”

“Alexander emphasized that the legislation would not allow states to change the essential benefits insurers are now required to offer individuals and small businesses under the ACA, or let insurers discriminate against consumers with preexisting conditions. “This takes care of the next two years,” the senator said, standing off to the side as GOP leaders emphasized the importance of tax reform before the television cameras. “After that we can have a full-fledged debate on where we go next on health care.”

“Trump stopped the CSR payments last week. In doing so, he not only dealt a blow against the ACA, which conservatives activists have wanted to dismantle and congressional Republicans have tried an failed to do this year. He also handed off the matter to Congress, forcing them to decide whether to appropriate funding for the subsidies.”

“Earlier Tuesday (10/17/17), Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who was golfing with Trump on Saturday when the president discussed the prospect of negotiations with Alexander on the phone, said that even if a deal is struck, it may not be enough of an overhaul to satisfy core Republican voters.”

“That will be his challenge, how much is enough? I can’t support the payments until you get some reform, but I realize that for the base, it’s going to be about not keeping Obamacare in place,” Graham told reporters.”

“For now, many Republican senators are distancing themselves from the Alexander-Murray plan.”

I’m not sure what the Senate should do,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).”