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U.S. NEWS Thursday 17 augusT 2017
Corporate chiefs flee Trump; advisory panels disbanded

of such advisory groups is explosive press conference
sometimes questionable, on Tuesday: “No, not the
simply meeting with Trump same. One side is racist,
with TV cameras going is bigoted, Nazi. The other
valuable face-time for the opposes racism and big-
executives — and for the otry. Morally different uni-
president. verses.”
Though not as outspoken Other leaders, including
as the business leaders, Senate Majority Leader
some fellow Republican Mitch McConnell and
leaders are going after House Speaker Paul Ryan,
Trump forcefully, too. made forceful anti-racism
South Carolina Sen. Lind- statements — but steered
sey Graham said Wednes- clear of mentioning Trump
day the president “took a and his comments.
step backward by again Under pressure, Trump
suggesting there is moral made his condemnation of
equivalency” between the the Charlottesville violence
marching white suprema- more specific on Monday,
cists and the people who naming white suprema-
had been demonstrating cists, the Ku Klux Klan and
against them. neo-Nazis. But he returned
Former GOP presiden- to his defiant self on Tues-
In this Feb. 23, 2017 photo, Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison speaks during a meeting between tial candidate Mitt Rom- day, effectively erasing the
President Donald Trump and manufacturing executives at the White House in Washington. Morrison ney tweeted a similar slap statement he’d read a day
resigned from a White House jobs panel over comments about racism made by President Donald
Trump. shortly after the president’s earlier.q
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Continued from Front Members of the Strategy In a subsequent call
The first to step down, Ken- and Policy group, led by with Trump, the presi-
neth Frazier of Merck, drew Blackstone CEO Stephen dent agreed it was the
a Twitter tongue-lashing Schwarzman, concluded right course of action. He
from the president. after a 45-minute confer- tweeted before they could
Later, Trump called those ence call in the morning announce the decision
who were leaving “grand- that they would end the they’d reached — making
standers” and insisted council and announce it appear it was his choice.
many others were eager their decision in a state- Publicly criticizing the presi-
to take their places. On ment, according to two dent and resigning from his
Wednesday, he appeared people familiar with the councils is a significant step
to be pre-empting the discussions. They insisted for big-name corporate
CEOs own decision to dis- on anonymity to discuss pri- leaders.
band. vate conversations. Though the policy influence

White House:

Gov’t to make health law payments this month

By RICARDO ZALDIVAR so-called “cost-sharing” Education, Labor and Pen-
Associated Press subsidies total about $7 bil- sions Committee. “Con-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The lion this year and are con- gress now should pass bal-
government will make this sidered vital to guarantee anced, bipartisan, limited
month’s payments to in- stability for consumers who legislation in September
surers under the Obama- buy their own individual that will fund cost-sharing
era health care law that health insurance policies. payments for 2018.”
President Donald Trump Insurers say they want to The Congressional Budget
still wants to repeal and the administration to do Office reported this week
replace, a White House of- more, and guarantee the that premiums for a popu-
ficial said Wednesday. payments at least through lar type of individual health
Trump has repeatedly next year. But on Capitol care plan under the Af-
threatened to end the pay- Hill, a senior Republican fordable Care Act would
ments, which help reduce applauded Trump’s move. rise sharply, and that more
health insurance copays “State insurance com- people would be left with-
and deductibles for peo- missioners have warned out options for coverage,
ple with modest incomes, that abrupt cancellation if Trump kept his threat to
but remain under a legal of cost-sharing subsidies stop the payments. More-
cloud. would cause premiums, over, ending the payments
A White House spokesman copays and deductibles would only increase fed-
said “the August payment to increase and more insur- eral deficits since it would
will be made,” insisting on ance companies to leave trigger a rise in separate
anonymity to discuss the the markets,” said Sen. La- health law subsidies for pre-
decision ahead of the of- mar Alexander, R-Tenn., miums, wiping out any po-
ficial announcement. The chairman of the Health, tential savings.q