Trump: "Perhaps Let Obamacare Crash & Burn!"

Since its grand release last Thursday, several Republican senators have already spoken out against the Better Care Reconciliation Act. However, President Donald Trump is so intent on passing a new health care bill that on Monday, Trump suggested he would let Obamacare "crash and burn" if Senators didn't come together to pass health care reform. Republican Senate leadership is hoping to vote on the legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act this week.

Republican Senators are working very hard to get there, with no help from the Democrats. Not easy! Perhaps just let OCare crash & burn!

In the past few days, Trump has taken to Twitter to talk about Obamacare and Democrats' unwillingness to back the Republican Senate plan. On Saturday, he posted the following two tweets:

Democrats slam GOP healthcare proposal as Obamacare premiums & deductibles increase by over 100%. Remember keep your doctor, keep your plan?

I cannot imagine that these very fine Republican Senators would allow the American people to suffer a broken ObamaCare any longer!

Then, on Monday, he picked up again, tweeting, "The Democrats have become nothing but OBSTRUCTIONISTS, they have no policies or ideas. All they do is delay and complain. They own ObamaCare!" which led to his last tweet about letting Obamacare "crash and burn."

Trump didn't elaborate about how he would allow the ACA to dismantle, but it's possible that he could withhold cost-share subsidies that go to enrollees' deductibles and co-pays. In May, the administration delayed the decision to fund the ACA cost-share subsidies for three months. If these subsidies were denied funding, insurers would likely pull out of the market, according to CNN Money.

Democrats are not expected to vote in favor of the Better Care Reconciliation Act and at least five GOP senators have spoken out against the bill in its current form, with several others voicing concerns. Republicans can afford to lose only two votes in order to pass the legislation in the Senate. If three Republicans refuse to vote for the bill, it will not pass.

On June 22, when the Senate Republicans released their draft of the BCRA, Trump said that it needed a "little negotiation." If the Senate version of the repeal-and-replace bill were to pass, it would still need renegotiation with the House of Representatives. The House passed their bill, the American Health Care Act, back in May, a bill Trump recently called "mean."

The Congressional Budget Office is expected to release its score on the Better Care Reconciliation Act on Monday, which will give Senators some additional information about how the bill would affect Americans and help them make their decision about voting.