The White House signaled that President Donald Trump is willing to consider “all options” from Republicans if they can pass a bill that will land on his desk.
When asked by Breitbart News if President Trump would sign a “repeal only” bill if it landed on his desk, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did not commit.
“I think right now we’re open to considering all options to reform health care and make sure that Americans get the best care possible,” she said, declining to get into specifics.
The possibility of a “repeal only” option floated by Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday energized conservatives, but lost some traction after three moderate Republicans vocally protested the suggestion — Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Shelley Moore Capito.
Although Trump mentioned the repeal only idea on Twitter on Monday night, he did not bring up the suggestion during lengthy remarks on the subject of health care while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office.
“[F]or so many years, I’ve been hearing repeal and replace,” Trump said at the White House. “I’m sitting in the Oval Office, right next door, pen in hand, waiting to sign something and I’ll be waiting.”
Sanders disputed the idea that the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare was dead, promising that the president would continue to push for a deal.
“The thing that’s dead is Obamacare, we’ve seen that it’s completely failed,” she said. “At this point Congress needs to do their job and do it as quickly as they can.”
Sanders warned Senators that they would have to face the response from their constituents, but that the White House would not speak on their behalf.
“The debate in the battle over healthcare isn’t over,” Sanders said. “We’re going to continue fighting for that every single day.”