Donald Trump has urged Republican senators to redirect federal funds currently used to subsidise health insurance costs under the Affordable Care Act towards direct payments to individuals. The proposal, outlined in a social media post on Saturday, aims to address a key issue in the ongoing US government shutdown.
“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” Trump wrote.
The comments came as US senators met on the 39th day of the shutdown, with negotiations appearing to intensify. Republican senators Lindsey Graham, Rick Scott and Bill Cassidy welcomed the proposal, but the party faces significant hurdles. Consumers would still need to buy plans from the same insurance companies, and any repeal or replacement of Obamacare would require eight Democratic votes to reopen the government—a prospect that seems unlikely to gain any Democratic support.
