President Trump on Monday indicated he was willing to making a deal with Democrats on health care, an issue that has been at the center of the ongoing government shutdown.
“We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things. And I’m talking about good things with regard to health care,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump declined to say whether he was meeting with Democratic leaders.
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Asked if he was open to making a deal on Affordable Care Act subsidies, which Democrats want to see extended ahead of potential premium increases, Trump said he would be open to it.
“If we made the right deal, I’d make a deal. Sure,” Trump said. “You have subsidies, that’s the problem with ObamaCare. The subsidies are so much, it’s billions and billions of dollars is being wasted. And we could have a much better health care than we have right now. And we’re talking to them. I’m not saying that’s going to happen.”
In response to Trump’s comments, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Democrats would meet with Trump if the president were serious.
“For months, Democrats have been calling on Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans to come to the table and work with us to deliver lower costs and better health care for the American people,” Schumer said in a statement.
“If President Trump and Republicans are finally ready to sit down and get something done on healthcare for American families, Democrats will be there — ready to make it happen,” Schumer added.
The government has been shut down since Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a funding deal, with Democrats demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Without action, enhanced tax credits passed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people afford coverage will expire at the end of the year. If they do, premiums for Affordable Care Act enrollees will increase more than 75 percent on average, according to health policy research group KFF.
While Democrats insist an extension be part of any short-term government funding legislation, GOP leaders have argued those discussions can wait until later in the year and should be separate from funding the government.