WASHINGTON (AP) — Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson says President Donald Trump’s inconsistent stance on a bipartisan health deal has hurt prospects for the Senate proposal aimed at stabilizing insurance markets and lowering premiums.
Johnson tells reporters: “It’s always best for the president to be completely consistent in terms of what he’s supporting or not supporting. And let’s face it, he’s not been particularly consistent here.”
Trump initially spoke favorably of the agreement by GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. But Trump subsequently declared he couldn’t support it, calling it a bailout for insurance companies.
In fact, the Alexander-Murray deal is intended to ensure consumers are protected from large rate increases stemming from Trump’s decision to cut off federal payments that help insurers reimburse lower-income people.
