Trump repeats false claim that senator in hospital caused embarassing healthcare defeat
The legislator Mr Trump appears to be referring to has debunked this claim
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has repeatedly said the Senate couldn’t vote this week on a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare because a Republican senator is in the hospital. However, there is no senator currently in hospital.
Mr Trump suffered another legislative loss when Senate Republicans were forced to announce the end of their latest drive to dismantle Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act, earlier this week because they didn't have enough support from their party.
However, the President has claimed multiple times that Republicans “have the votes” in support of a healthcare measure, but could not move ahead with a vote this week because of a senator being in hospital for treatment.
But the legislator Mr Trump appears to be referring to, Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, has debunked this claim.
“I'm not hospitalized, but am recuperating at home in Mississippi and look forward to returning to work soon,” Mr Cochran tweeted.
The senator is recovering from treatment for a urological issue, according to USA Today.
Evidence also quashes Mr Trump’s assertion that Republicans “have the votes” to repeal Obamacare.
Multiple Republican senators said they would vote no to the reform, including John McCain and Susan Collins.
President Donald Trump has said he thinks he can get another hold-out, Senator Rand Paul, “on board” for reform.
Mr Trump told reporters as he returned from a trip to Indiana on Wednesday night: “I think Rand will be there for us.”
Mr Trump also said he was considering signing an extensive order that would allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines — one of his signature campaign promises.
Mr Paul has been pushing Mr Trump to make good on that promise and says the President can do so by expanding “association health plans” that would allow individuals to pool together and buy insurance outside their states.
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