Trump tweets he is "very supportive" of Senate health care bill
President Trump tweeted Thursday night that he is "very supportive" of the Senate health care proposal, after an intense day on Capitol Hill following the GOP unveiling of the plan after weeks of secrecy.
I am very supportive of the Senate #HealthcareBill. Look forward to making it really special! Remember, ObamaCare is dead.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2017
Fox News' "The Five" released a preview clip from an interview with Mr. Trump on Friday morning's "Fox and Friends" where Mr. Trump called the four senators who oppose the bill "friends of mine - I think that they'll probably get there."
"But we'll have to wait and see," Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump earlier in the day had stopped short of supporting the "discussion draft" of a bill, saying only that it needed "a little negotiation, but it's going to be very good." White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters in an afternoon White House press gaggle that the White House would be working with the House and Senate to make a deal.
Mr. Trump tweeted his support shortly before he and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a congressional picnic on the White House lawn.
At a campaign-style rally in Iowa Wednesday night, Mr. Trump said he wanted the Senate health care bill to have some "heart."
"I've been talking about a plan with heart. I've said, 'Add some money to it,'" the president said.
It's unclear what the president meant by adding "some money to it."
Senate Republicans face an uphill battle in passing their version of the health care bill, with at least four Republicans already expressing their opposition to the bill. The bill rolls back key Obamacare provisions, like the individual and business mandate requiring coverage, but keeps some provisions intact, such as allowing people to stay on their parents' health insurance plans until 26. The Senate proposal has some protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants to vote on the legislation before the Senate recesses for the July 4th holiday.
Following the release of the proposal on Thursday, protesters organized outside McConnell's office to voice their opposition, in an event they called a "die in." Protestors chanted things like, "No cuts to Medicaid! Save our liberty!" Law enforcement officers escorted some of the protestors out of the Capitol hallway where they were demonstrating.