McConnell: I need president's support before taking health compromise to Congress

Staff report

STERLING, Va.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said today he’s willing to bring bipartisan health care legislation to the floor if President Donald Trump makes clear he supports it.

A proposal by two senators - Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington - would extend for two years federal insurance payments that Trump has blocked, in an effort to stabilize insurance markets.

But Trump has offered mixed signals, alternately praising and condemning the effort - confusing Democrats and Republicans alike.

Asked whether he would bring the bill to the floor McConnell said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he was waiting “to hear from President Trump what kind of health care bill he might sign.”

“If there’s a need for some kind of interim step here to stabilize the market, we need a bill the president will actually sign. And I’m not certain yet what the president is looking for here, but I will be happy to bring a bill to the floor if I know President Trump would sign it,” the Republican said. He added of Trump: “I think he hasn’t made a final decision.”

The plan unveiled last week likely has 60 votes in the Senate, mostly from Democrats, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday urged McConnell to bring it to the floor “immediately, this week.”

“This is a good compromise,” Schumer said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He predicted it would pass “by a large number of votes” and that the president would ultimately sign it to avoid the blame for rising insurance premiums.