Trump on overhauling health care and avoiding shutdown: 'We'll get both'


President Donald Trump said on Thursday he likes the latest plan to overhaul health care coming out of negotiations between conservative and moderate Republicans in Congress, calling a draft proposal "really, really good."

"We're doing very well on health care. We'll see what happens, but this is a great bill," he said. "This is a great plan. And this will be great health care."

Asked by a reporter at a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni whether he would prefer a vote on the health care bill or a vote on the budget that would prevent a government shutdown April 28 at midnight, the president declined to choose.

"We have a good chance of getting [health care] soon," he said. "I'd like to say next week, but I believe we will get it and whether it's next week or shortly thereafter."

"As far as keeping the government open, I think we want to keep the government open," he added. "So, yeah, I think we'll get both."

He also said he did not give up after last month's attempt to pass a bill to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law, despite House GOP leadership pulling the bill off the floor just minutes before it was due for a vote.

"It's evolving," he said. "You know it was never a give-up. That was sort of reported there was like a give-up. There's no give-up. Remember, it took Obamacare 17 months. I've really been negotiating this for two months, maybe even less than that because we had the 30-day period where we did lots of other things, the first 30 days. But this has really been two months. This is a continuation."

"The plan gets better and better and it's gotten really, really good and a lot of people are liking it a lot," he added.

Copyright 2017 U.S. News & World Report

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