President Trump claimed Wednesday that Senate Republicans have a “big surprise” on their healthcare bill, while also declaring the measure is coming “along very well.”
“Healthcare is working along very well,” Trump said after meeting with baseball players from the Chicago Cubs, according to a White House press pool report. “We’re gonna have a big surprise. We have a great healthcare package.”
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When asked for further clarification about his remarks, the president repeated his claim about a big surprise.
“We’re going to have a great, great surprise,” he said.
Trump also brushed off Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer‘s (D-N.Y.) request that he meet all Senate lawmakers to discuss a bipartisan healthcare deal, saying the Democratic leader is “not serious.”
“I don’t think he’s serious. He hasn’t been serious,” Trump said, according to the pool report. “ObamaCare is such a disaster. And he wants to try and save something that’s hurting a lot of people. It’s hurting a lot of people.”
Earlier Wednesday, Trump said passing the ObamaCare repeal-and-replace measure will be “tough,” adding that GOP lawmakers can “get it done.”
The president’s comments about a big surprise come as Republicans are facing an upward battle to get enough lawmakers on board, with five GOP senators saying they will not vote for a motion to begin debate on the bill.
Their decision came after a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis revealed the measure would leave 22 million more people uninsured over a decade.
The GOP opposition to the bill in the Senate forced Republican leadership to delay a vote until after the July 4 recess.