Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday he told President Donald Trump Democratic lawmakers were willing to work with him on making needed fixes to the Affordable Care Act, but that repeal of the law was "off the table," The Hill reported.
"The president wanted to make another run at repeal and replace and I told the president that's off the table," Schumer said in a statement about a phone call he had with Trump on Friday.
"If he wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions. A good place to start might be the Alexander-Murray negotiations that would stabilize the system and lower costs," Schumer added.
Trump confirmed earlier Saturday morning what sources had reported Friday that the president called Schumer about working to fix the nation's healthcare system.
"I called Chuck Schumer yesterday to see if the Dems want to do a great HealthCare Bill. ObamaCare is badly broken, big premiums. Who knows!" Trump tweeted early Saturday.
Republican efforts have fallen short to fulfill what many lawmakers had made as campaign promises to "repeal and replace" Obamacare. Trump is once again signaling to Democrats he's open to working with them to enact legislation after GOP efforts failed.
The Alexander-Murray negotiations Schumer referenced is a plan spearheaded by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Alexander on Tuesday said the plan would include subsidies to insurance companies for two years, The Hill reported.
Last month, Trump surprised Republicans on Capitol Hill when he worked with Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on a short-term bill to fund the government. The bill also raised the debt ceiling and included funds for hurricane and disaster recovery.
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