Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 20 July 2017
GOP moves ahead on budget; targets tax reform AP: Trump exhorts
Senate anew to rid

By ANDREW TAYLOR U.S. of Obamacare
Associated Press Continued from front
WASHINGTON (AP) — A
GOP-controlled House But in an apparent change
panel on Wednesday of heart, in keeping with his
worked into the night on a erratic engagement on
Republican fiscal plan that the issue, Trump pressured
probably won’t deliver on McConnell to delay the
its promises to balance the key vote until next week,
budget, but would begin and he invited Republi-
to clear a path for a GOP can senators to the White
effort to overhaul the tax House for lunch.
code this fall. There, with the cameras
The plan proposes deep rolling in the State Din-
cuts to safety net pro- ing Room, Trump spoke
grams like Medicaid and at length as he cajoled,
food stamps and reprises scolded and issued veiled
a controversial Medicare threats to his fellow Repub-
plan strongly opposed by licans, all aimed at wring-
President Donald Trump — ing a health care bill out
though Republicans plan of a divided caucus that’s
to try to deliver on a small been unable to produce
fraction of the cuts. one so far.
Instead,to most Republi- “For seven years you prom-
cans on Capitol Hill, the In this March 10, 2017 photo, House Budget Committee Chair Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn. speaks ised the American people
on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, unveiled a budget
most important element of that makes deep cuts in food stamps and other social safety net programs while boosting military that you would repeal
the plan is the procedural spending by billions, a blueprint that pleases neither conservatives nor moderates. Obamacare.”
pathway it would clear to (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) “People are hurting. Inac-
allow Republicans to pass tion is not an option and
their top priority — an over- year. Republicans argue broke for future genera- means,” said Budget Chair- frankly I don’t think we
haul of the tax code — that growing deficits and tions. man Diane Black, R-Tenn. should leave town unless
later this year without fear debt are part of the reason “Both parties in Washing- “Balancing the budget re- we have a health insur-
of a blockade by Senate for slow economic growth ton have failed to abide quires us to make tough ance plan,” he said.
Democrats. Passing a bud- and that big benefit plans by a simple principle that choices, but the conse- Seated next to Nevada
get through Congress is the like Medicare and Med- all American families and quences of inaction far Sen. Dean Heller, who is
only way to get a GOP- icaid need changes now small businesses do — that outweigh any political risks vulnerable in next year’s
only tax plan enacted this to keep them from going we must live within our we may face.”q midterm elections, Trump
remarked: “He wants to
remain a senator, doesn’t
he?” as Heller gave a
strained grin.
And a new AP-NORC poll
found that Americans over-
whelmingly want lawmak-
ers of both parties to work
out health care changes.
At the White House lunch,
the discussion was not
simply about repealing
“Obamacare” but also
how to replace it as Re-
publicans said that after
seven years of promises,
they could not let their ef-
forts die without one last
fight.
“This is more than just a
health care debate,” said
Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas
as he left the meeting. “It
really means, can we come
together as a conference,
can we come together as
a Republican Party, can
we come together on a
signature piece of legisla-
tion we’ve talked about for
seven years.
“If we don’t, I think it’s pret-
ty clear the political con-
sequences are staring us
right in the face,” Roberts
added.q