WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump has said that he was working on an executive order to expand access to health insurance and would negotiate with Democrats for a legislative solution by next year.
Trump, while speaking to reporters at the White House, said the Congress would return to the healthcare issue in the first few months of 2018 and that he had the votes to get it done, adding that he would work with the Democrats to make the effort one that had support from both parties.
“I am going to meet with Democrats and I will see if I can get a healthcare plan that’s even better. So I will negotiate with Democrats but from the Republican standpoint we have the votes. We’ll vote in January, February or March," he said.
Trump added, "I am considering an executive order on associations and that will take care of a tremendous number of people with regard to healthcare and I’ll probably be signing a very major executive order where people can go out, cross state lines, do lots of things and buy their own healthcare."
The executive order Trump is eyeing would allow individuals to purchase insurance across state lines through so-called health associations.
Republican leaders did not put their latest version of Obamacare repeal to a vote on Tuesday when it became clear they did not have enough support, despite their Senate majority.
Meanwhile, Trump, in two tweets early Wednesday morning, said, “We will have the votes for Healthcare but not for the reconciliation deadline of Friday, after which we need 60.”
Trump said that one of the votes they needed was of a senator who was in the hospital, who he confirmed to be Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi.
Throughout the health care debate, Democrats have said they will not support any plan that makes it harder for people to buy health insurance, effectively cutting them off from coverage.