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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 19 July 2017
‘Let Obamacare fail,’ Trump declares as GOP plan collapses

that position where we’ll Senate and White House,
just let Obamacare fail,” partly on the strength of
the president said. campaigning against the
“We’re not going to own it. law.
I’m not going to own it. “It doesn’t work that way.”
I can tell you that the Re- Many Republicans support
publicans are not going to the repeal-only approach,
own it. and they questioned how
We’ll let Obamacare fail senators who voted for the
and then the Democrats legislation two years ago
are going to come to us could oppose it now.
and they’re going to say, The Congressional Budget
‘How do we fix it?’” Office has estimated that
Despite the current law’s more than 30 million peo-
problems, most health care ple would lose insurance
experts do not believe it is over a decade under the
at immediate risk of outright legislation. Collins voted
failure, and Democratic against the legislation in
cooperation to adjust the 2015 while Murkowski and
law is far from assured. Capito both supported
Nor does it appear likely it. Murkowski told report-
that Republicans can es- ers Tuesday that repealing
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y. pauses during a news conference on cape owning the problems the Affordable Care Act
Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 18, 2017. President Donald Trump blasted congressional with the law and the health without the promise of a
Democrats and “a few Republicans” over the collapse of the GOP effort to rewrite the Obama care system overall, now replacement would cause
health care law.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) that they control the House, uncertainty and chaos.q
Continued from Front next week, McConnell an-
nounced late Tuesday.
Nonetheless, McConnell It appears doomed to fail,
insisted he would move but GOP leaders want to
forward with a vote on his put lawmakers on record
measure to repeal the law, on the issue and move on.
effective in two years, with At the White House, Trump
a promise to work — along appeared to recognize
with Democrats — to re- defeat, at least for the
place it in the meantime. moment, while insisting he
The vote to move ahead to bore none of the blame.
the bill will take place early “I think we’re probably in

Amid budget cut plans, Carson
pledges to fight homelessness

By JENNIFER C. KERR he said. “It actually saves
Associated Press public resources if we first
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hous- provide housing, and work
ing Secretary Ben Carson with people from there.”
pledged Tuesday to “work Spokesman Raffi Williams
toward a time when no said Carson will make
family is without a home” homelessness a top priority
— even as the Trump ad- at the Department of Hous-
ministration seeks sharp ing and Urban Develop-
budget cuts that critics say ment.
would lead to more people Carson, a conservative Re-
living on the streets. publican who challenged
“A man will not beat ad- President Donald Trump for
diction from a gutter, he the GOP nomination last
will not get psychiatric help year, spoke as Congress
underneath a bridge, and considers Trump’s budget
he will not find a steady job for fiscal year 2018 — a plan
without a steady address,” that calls for cutting about
Carson said, to applause $7 billion from the $48 billion
from a packed ballroom HUD budget. That includes
at a conference organized cuts to homeless assistance
by the National Alliance to grants and a reduction of
End Homelessness. Con- nearly $1 billion to Section
sider the enormous costs 8 rental assistance, which
of emergency room care, helps about 2.2 million
the potential danger and low-income families afford
money for extra policing, housing. q