Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 13 July 2017
Washington braces for a long, hot summer slog of politics

By ERICA WERNER Not this year. With Repub- the Senate would stay in the “Obamacare” repeal- ington.
AP Congressional Corre- licans six months into full session an extra two weeks, and-replace bill Repub- “This has been a difficult
spondent control of Congress and into mid-August. licans have promised for time,” acknowledges mod-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The the White House but with Whether results will im- years. erate Republican Sen. Su-
nation’s capital is bracing Bunkered in the White san Collins of Maine, point-
for a long, hot summer, House as Russia-U.S. elec- ing to the polarization and
and that’s not even count- tion details unspool, Presi- divisions in the country.
ing the weather. dent Donald Trump has not “Unfortunately the presi-
The White House is im- been seen for days, though dent has not united peo-
mersed in allegations of he did grant an interview to ple,” Collins says.
scandal. Congressional the Christian Broadcasting “And so that’s made it a
Republicans are ensnared Network to announce he’d difficult time to serve, by far
in their own divisions. be “very angry” if Congress the most difficult of the 20
Instead of movement on fails to produce on health years that I’ve been here.”
health care, taxes and care. Republican Sen. Jeff Flake
more, GOP control figures Despite Trump’s low ap- of Arizona, who faces a
to produce a grim summer proval ratings and the re- difficult re-election cam-
slog as lawmakers and the lentless developments in- paign made more compli-
Trump administration grind volving Russia’s election cated by his past opposi-
it out into August and be- meddling — which now tion to Trump, demurred
yond. feature Donald Trump Jr. in when asked about the lack
That’s traditionally summer Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. listens during a a starring role — the presi- of progress in the past six
vacation time in Washing- news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. It’s a long, hot dent still commands loy- months.
ton, D.C., when Congress summer in the nation’s capital, and that’s not even counting alty from a significant slice “I would have liked to have
goes on a five-week recess, the weather. With the White House caught in the daily drip of of the GOP base. So few gotten more done, certain-
and much of the rest of the scandal, and congressional Republicans ensnared by their own elected Republicans want ly,” Flake said.
divisions, the GOP’s governing agenda has turned into a slow,
town follows suit to escape painful slog. to cross him by criticizing Why didn’t you?
the stultifying heat and hu- (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) him over Russia, much less “Complex issues,” Flake
midity. President Barack provoke his anger. said, smiling. President
Obama would embark on practically nothing to show, prove remains to be seen. It’s all adding up to frus- Trump and Russia didn’t
an extended annual visit Majority Leader Mitch Mc- The Senate is currently tied tration, even misery, for have anything to do with
to Martha’s Vineyard. Connell announced that in knots trying to produce Republicans who’ve seen it? “I don’t want to go
their ambitions thwarted there,” he said.
on many fronts. And the Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., re-
merciless summer slog may fused to discuss the first six
prove the fitting metaphor months of the year, but
for an administration that’s offered a withering histori-
brought stasis and dysfunc- cal critique of Congress in
tion to new levels in Wash- general.q

Trump says he’ll be ‘angry’ if

Senate health care bill flops

Continued from front buy coverage would
Asked if McConnell would be eliminated and fed-
succeed, Trump said, eral health care subsidies
“Mitch has to pull it off.” would be less generous.
Trump has played a limited The new package would
role in cajoling GOP sena- eliminate tax increases the
tors to back the legislation. statute imposed on the
Asked Wednesday about health care industry. But it
the president’s involve- would retain Obama tax
ment, White House spokes- boosts on upper-income
woman Sarah Huckabee people, and use the rev-
Sanders told reporters the enue to help some lower
White House was providing earners afford coverage,
“technical assistance.” provide $45 billion to help
McConnell’s new bill was states combat drug abuse
expected to offer only and give extra money to
modest departures from some hospitals in states
the original version. that didn’t use Obama’s
Its key elements remain law to expand Medicaid.
easing Obama’s require- Paul told reporters the re-
ments that insurers cover vised measure didn’t go
specified services like hos- far enough. “I don’t see
pital care and cutting anything in here really re-
the Medicaid health care motely resembling repeal,”
program for the poor, dis- he said. Collins has long
abled and nursing home complained the measure
patients. Obama’s penal- will toss millions off cover-
ties on people who don’t age. q