Mulvaney: Trump Thinks O’Care Should ‘Hurt’ Insurance Providers, Lawmakers

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney speaks to reporters during a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Budget Director Mick Mulvaney speaks to reporters during a daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney on Sunday said President Donald Trump threatened to cut Obamacare provisions because he thinks the law should “hurt insurance companies” and lawmakers if they can’t corral enough votes to repeal it.

Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” about Trump’s threat on Saturday to end subsidies that affect low-income individuals, Mulvaney said he “talked to the President at length about that exact issue yesterday.”

“I think his attitude is this, and his attitude is pretty simple,” Mulvaney said. “What he’s saying is, look, if Obamacare is hurting people — and it is — then why shouldn’t it hurt insurance companies and more importantly perhaps for this discussion, members of Congress?”

Trump in a tweet Saturday threatened to end “BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress” — the former referring to cost sharing reduction payments and the latter appearing to refer to the employer contribution for lawmakers’ health insurance.

“I think the President’s simply looking at this and going, is this fair?” Mulvaney said. “We’ll see what happens as we move forward.”

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Notable Replies

  1. It’s just getting so difficult to decide which of his appointees is the most hateful, heartless and self-serving. Mulvaney has to be in the top three…I eagerly await to see the reaction of all the Trump voters who may soon find themselves without insurance coverage. I don’t think it will sit well, and I hope they take it out on him.

  2. Avatar for docd docd says:

    He doesn’t understand or care how the whole thing works.The basic illiteracy about everything still amazes me, even after his effort to convince all of us that he is to shallow to function in society, much less the White House. And the notion that he cares about fairness one way or another is absurd.
    Please make it stop.

  3. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    Ending subsidies doesn’t hurt insurance companies. It hurts low income people who otherwise would not be able to afford healthcare. Cruel, stupid, heartless, and short sighted.

  4. Avatar for korvu korvu says:

    GOP sociopaths - never happy unless inflicting pain.

  5. Obamacare does not hurt poor people. The subsidies help middle of the road people afford the premiums that their employers refuse to share in. The poor get medicaid. The people Obamacare helps most, single working moms who are making +$32k-$50k. THAT’s who the subsidies help! The insurance companies, of course want their “bailout” else they would not be in business at all. So the only REAL solution is to make insurance companies obsolete. As far as congress goes, those guys don’t need the subsidies, it’s their STAFF that need them (see above). AND THAT is who Trump is threatening. So screw Donald. He is a total idiot and those that lap his crap up, they deserve every lose this administration racks up.

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