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U.S. NEWS Monday 3 July 2017
Media organizations criticize Trump for tweeted video

By CATHERINE LUCEY clear who produced the “the opposition party” and GREAT AMERICAN PEO- the tweet should not send
Associated Press brief video, which appears “the enemy of the Ameri- PLE!” a chill across the media
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) to be a doctored version of can people.” He has tak- Bruce Brown, the execu- landscape.
— In his latest jab at the Trump’s 2007 appearance en particular aim at CNN, tive director of the Report- “I think that no one would
media, President Donald on World Wrestling Enter- calling the network “fake ers Committee for Freedom perceive that as a threat,”
Trump on Sunday tweeted tainment Inc. The 28-sec- news.” of the Press, condemned homeland security adviser
a mock video that shows ond clip was posted on Trump stayed on the attack the video as a “threat of Tom Bossert said. “I hope
him pummeling a man in a Trump’s official Twitter ac- later in the day, stating on physical violence against they don’t. But I do think
business suit — his face ob- count, with the message: Twitter that “the dishon- journalists.” He said Trump’s that he’s beaten up in a
scured by the CNN logo — “#FraudNewsCNN #FNN.” est media will NEVER keep tweet was “beneath the way on cable platforms
outside a wrestling ring. The president in the past us from accomplishing our office of the presidency.” that he has a right to re-
It was not immediately has branded the media as objectives on behalf of our A White House aide insisted spond to.”q
Trump makes push on health bill; repeal-only vote an option

Continued from Front said. “I think you can get
52 Republicans for clean
Trump’s suggestion had repeal.”
the potential to harden di- Even before Trump was in-
visions within the GOP as augurated in January, Re-
conservatives complain publicans had debated
that McConnell’s bill does and ultimately discarded
not go far enough in re- the idea of repealing the
pealing Obama’s health overhaul before replacing
care law while moderates it, concluding that both
criticize it as overly harsh must happen simultaneous-
in kicking people off insur- ly. Doing otherwise would
ance rolls, shrinking the invite accusations that Re-
Medicaid safety net and publicans were simply toss-
increasing premiums for ing people off coverage
older Americans. and roil insurance markets
“It’s not easy making Amer- by raising the question of
ica great again, is it?” Mc- whether, when and how
Connell said late Friday. He Congress might replace
has previously indicated Obama’s law once it was
that if Republicans fail to gone.
reach agreement, he will But at least nine GOP sena-
have to negotiate with tors expressed opposition
Democrats, who want to fix after a CBO analysis last
Obama’s health care law Anne Kille of Flemingsburg, Ky., protests the arrival of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, week found that McCon-
R-Ky.,at the Lincoln Day Dinner, Friday, June 30, 2017, in Elizabethtown, Ky.
without repealing it.Short (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley) nell’s draft bill would result
said the White House re- lower-income people, per- “We think that Leader Mc- ting anywhere with the bill in 22 million people losing
mained hopeful after Sen- haps by preserving a tax Connell and his senators we have. We’re at an im- insurance over the next de-
ate Republicans submitted boost on high earners. within the Senate are work- passe,” Paul said. He criti- cade, only 1 million fewer
two versions of the bill to Health and Human Services ing to try to get this piece of cized Senate leaders, say- than under the House-
the Congressional Budget Secretary Tom Price said legislation on track,” Price ing they were seeking to passed legislation that
Office for scoring over the negotiations over the Sen- said. win over moderates with Trump privately told sena-
weeklong recess. Texas’ ate bill were focusing on But conservative Sen. Rand multibillion dollar proposals tors was “mean.”
Sen. Ted Cruz is pushing a ways to address the issue Paul, R-Ky., said he didn’t to combat the opioid epi- Paul said he believes that
conservative version that of Medicaid coverage so think a repeal-and-replace demic and boost tax subsi- Senate Republicans can do
aims to aggressively re- that “nobody falls through bill could win 50 votes. Both dies to help lower-income a repeal-only bill concur-
duce costs by giving states the cracks,” combating he and Sen. Ben Sasse, R- people get coverage. rently with a bill “they can
greater flexibility to create the opioid crisis, as well as Neb., have been urging “The bill is just being lit up call ‘replace.’”Sasse said
separate higher-risk pools. giving families more choice McConnell to consider a like a Christmas tree full of he would like to see a bill
The other seeks to bolster in selecting their insurance repeal-only bill first. billion-dollar ornaments, that would repeal Obam-
health care subsidies for plan. “I don’t think we’re get- and it’s not repeal,” Paul acare “with a delay.”q

Congress comes up short on major action so far this year

By ANDREW TAYLOR yet to salt away a single core responsibilities of pass- erates signaled a revolt agency spending, moder-
Associated Press major legislative accom- ing a budget and spend- on the budget, penning ates will be “reticent to sup-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- plishment for President ing bills, and keeping the a letter to Ryan announc- port any budget.”
publicans are stuck on Donald Trump, and a sum- government solvent — slide ing their opposition to an “It’s looking like they’re
health care, can’t pass a mer of drift may lead to a onto an already daunting emerging plan to force cuts very disorganized. They
budget, and hopes for a logistical nightmare this fall. fall agenda that is looking to government agencies got obviously a lot of con-
big, bipartisan infrastruc- Instead, Trump’s allies ap- more and more like it’ll be and benefit programs such flict over spending prefer-
ture package are fizzling. pear both divided and in- a train wreck. as food stamps. The letter, ences and it’s not just a
Overhauling the tax code decisive, unable to deliver Friday brought more bad authored by Rep. Charlie two-way conflict,” said top
looks more and more like a on his agenda while letting news for Speaker Paul Ryan, Dent, R-Pa., warned that House Budget Committee
distant dream. other must-do congressio- R-Wis., and other House without an agreement with Democrat John Yarmuth of
The GOP-led Congress has nal business — chiefly their leaders as 20 GOP mod- Democrats on increasing Kentucky.q