Trump Warns Congressional Republicans About Alternative to Obama's Universal Healthcare Plan

On Tuesday, March 21, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, warned Republican lawmakers that if they do not pass the proposed alternative to Obama's healthcare law, known as 'Obamacare', voters will punish them in the upcoming 2018 elections. According to Reuters, Trump met with Republican members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday. He told them that if they oppose the Republican proposal to replace Barack Obama's universal healthcare law, they will face 'political problems'. Paul Ryan, the Republican Speaker of the House, commented on Trump's remarks, stating that the President made it very clear; he set the boundaries for everyone. We made a promise, and now it is time to fulfill that promise. If we cannot deliver on our promise, managing this will be very difficult. During his election campaign, Trump promised to repeal 'Obamacare' as his first step. Republicans have repeatedly attempted to repeal or amend this law since its enactment in 2010. Reuters notes that while Trump currently holds power in the White House and Republicans have a majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, it was expected that they would easily pass the alternative proposal. However, Republicans are struggling to gain full support for the proposed replacement of Obama's universal healthcare law. The report indicates that while some conservative Republicans believe the proposed alternative only makes superficial changes and is insufficient, moderate Republicans are concerned that the plan could cause millions of Americans to lose their insurance. Republican leaders in the House hope to present the proposed replacement for 'Obamacare' in the full chamber on Thursday. According to Reuters, the Democratic minority in the House is unanimously opposed to the alternative proposal, and the current issue is how many Republican representatives will not support the proposed plan.