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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 10 OcTOber 2017
White House to order health care alternatives

By KEN THOMAS President Donald Trump has miums for 2018. also called “Obamacare.” Republican holdout during
RICARDO ZALDIVAR long asserted that selling in- Trump was expected to It’s unclear how the White the health care debate.
Associated Press surance across state lines sign the executive order House plans to overcome Senate leaders didn’t bring
WASHINGTON (AP) — The would trigger competition this week, likely on Thurs- opposition from state insur- the latest GOP health care
White House is finalizing an that brings down premiums day, a senior administration ance regulators, who see bill to a vote because they
executive order that would for people buying their own official said Sunday. that as an end-run to avoid lacked the votes to pass it.
expand health plans of- policies. Experts say that’s Under the president’s ex- standards. Association plans “kind of
fered by associations to not guaranteed, partly be- ecutive action, member- “There are likely to be legal went away with the ACA,
allow individuals to pool to- cause health insurance re- ship groups could sponsor challenges that could slow and now the idea seems to
gether and buy insurance flects local medical costs, insurance plans that cost this effort down,” said Larry be to re-create them,” said
outside their states, a uni- which vary widely around less because — for exam- Levitt of the nonpartisan Jeff Smedsrud, a health
lateral move that follows the country. ple — they wouldn’t have Kaiser Family Foundation. insurance marketing en-
failed efforts by Congress Moreover, White House ac- to offer the full menu of Similar alternatives have trepreneur. “It’s not clear
to overhaul the health care tions may come too late to benefits required under been promoted by Ken- what they would really look
system. have much impact on pre- the Affordable Care Act, tucky Sen. Rand Paul, a like.”q
Senator Grassley calls on Trump and Corker to ‘cool it’

Continued from Front the vice president to take
Grassley, who wouldn’t be over if the commander in
up for re-election until 2022, chief cannot discharge
responded bluntly when his duties,Moreover,
asked about the situation. Republicans’ political
“I don’t see how it’s fortunes remain tied to
productive, and I think that the president’s. They need
two words would kind of his signature if they are to
answer your question from rescue a flagging agenda
my point of view: Cool it ... and pass a tax overhaul,
I think it would be better if a goal many believe is
we stuck to the issues and imperative if the GOP is to
leave personalities out of retain control of Congress
it.” in next year’s midterm
A few other Republican elections. So unlike Corker,
senators who provided who recently announced
public views on Monday he is not running for re-
aligned themselves with election in Tennessee,
Trump, not Corker. even GOP Trump critics
For example, Montana’s will continue to mute
Steve Daines’ office said their concerns about his
simply that the senator behavior and try to work
“has confidence in the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is questioned by reporters as with the administration.
he arrives at the Capitol for votes, in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. “Cool it,” Sen. Chuck
president.” Grassley said in Iowa on Monday, delivering a message to both Sen. Corker and President Trump “Sen. Corker, who’s been
GOP Sen. John Barrasso regarding the current spat between the two politicians. a strong supporter of the
disagrees with Corker, (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) president in the past,
according to his office. who face potential primary to Corker’s comments and and those who did largely is essentially saying the
Referring to Barrasso and challenges from pro- ask whether they believe declined comment. emperor has no clothes,”
Trump, the Wyoming Trump activists on the right, Trump is fit for office, a Corker offered no solution said Michael Steel, who
senator’s office said, “On heightening the political question Corker declined to the problem he served as spokesman to
tax cuts, border security, dangers if they should to answer in the Times identified so graphically. former House Speaker John
and rebuilding American break with the president. interview. With the Senate Trump is the president, Boehner of Ohio.But, Steel
infrastructure, they fight The Associated Press on recess this week and and few doubt that he added, “The president
the same fight.” sought to contact all 52 many offices closed for will remain so, despite was elected under our
Barrasso is among the Republican senators on Columbus Day, the inquiries constitutional provisions constitutional system and
establishment Republicans Monday for their response elicited few responses, for impeachment or for that’s where we stand. q
Trump’s immigration demands threaten DACA deal

By JILL COLVIN — items that are cheered Democrats and Republi- rivals program, or DACA. to reach the broad out-
ANDREW TAYLOR by the president’s most cans have been fostering Trump announced last lines of an agreement with
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- loyal supporters, but are in giving permanent re- month that he was phas- the House and Senate’s
dent Donald Trump’s long non-starters among Demo- lief to more than 800,000 ing out DACA, but gave top Democrats, Nancy Pe-
list of immigration demands crats and could divide Re- DREAMers is sabotage,” Congress six months to act losi and Chuck Schumer, in
has landed with a thud publicans, who will have said U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, before recipients’ work per- which the president would
among lawmakers hope- to come together on any an Arizona Democrat and mits begin to expire. be open to extended
ful for a deal to protect deal.The demands have frequent Trump critic. Trump suggested at the DACA protections in ex-
hundreds of thousands of left pro-immigration activ- House and Senate leaders time that he was eager change for a package of
young immigrants from de- ists alarmed. And some on both sides of the aisle for a deal, telling report- border security measures.
portation. are scratching their heads, have said they want to find ers, “I have a love for these While Trump made clear
The list of demands released given that the president a legislative solution to ex- people and hopefully now that he still expected fund-
late Sunday includes fund- appeared to sign off on a tend protections first grant- Congress will be able to ing for his border wall, he
ing for a southern border more palatable deal with ed under former President help them and do it prop- said repeatedly that the
wall and a crackdown on Democrats just weeks ago. Barack Obama’s Deferred erly.” funding could come later,
so-called sanctuary cities “To stall the progress that Action for Childhood Ar- Days later, he appeared in separate legislation. q