Schumer to Trump: Meet with Democrats on healthcare

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is asking President Trump to meet with Democrats to discuss a bipartisan deal on healthcare.

“President Trump, I challenge you to invite us, all 100 of us, Republican and Democrat, to Blair House to discuss a new bipartisan way forward on healthcare in front of all the American people,” Schumer said on Wednesday, referring to the President’s Guest House.

He added that both parties should focus on fixing the current law and the overall healthcare system in the wake of the decision to delay a vote on the Senate GOP bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

{mosads}”I would make my friends on the Republican side and President Trump an offer: Let’s turn over a new leaf. Let’s start over,” Schumer said.

The talks, as outlined by the New York Democrat, could focus on lowering insurance premiums and deductibles, as well as improving the cost and quality of healthcare.

No Democrats have supported the GOP healthcare bill, and they repeatedly blasted Republicans for crafting the legislation behind closed doors.

Though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delayed the healthcare vote until next month amid stiff pushback from his caucus, he’s shown no inclination for backing away from the current bill and working with Democrats.

“It’s unfortunate that our Democratic colleagues refused to work with us in a serious way to comprehensively address ObamaCare’s failures in the seven years since they passed it,” McConnell said from the Senate floor on Wednesday morning.

But Schumer countered, saying that “Democrats are genuinely interested in finding a place where our two parties can come together on healthcare.”

The push for a meeting with Trump comes after Schumer unsuccessfully requested an all-Senate meeting with Republicans.