Washington: The White House on Sunday indicated it was willing to talk to the opposition Democratic leadership on Obamacare, days after US President Donald Trump suffered a spectacular defeat in repealing the healthcare legislation.
The indication came after Republicans were forced to pull their repeal of Obamacare bill in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives as they failed to get the required support two days ago, even from their own party lawmakers.
Support from a section of Democrats is now essential for Trump to get the bill repealing the Affordable Care Act - popularly known as Obamacare after the previous Democratic Party President Barack Obama - pass through the Congress.
"It would be nice to get the Democrats on board," White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told Fox News.
"Democrats can come to the table as well, and if you look at what the president said in the Oval Office just after that comment, he said, you know, 'Perhaps it's time for us to start talking to some moderate Democrats as well and come up with, you know, a bipartisan solution'," Priebus said.
"...the president has also said that when Obamacare does ultimately explode, which it will, we are going to be prepared to lead again and if Democrats come on board with a plan down the road, we will welcome that," Priebus said.
On Friday, House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had been leading the effort, failed to garner the 215 votes needed for the passage of the new bill that would have replaced Obamacare.
But today, Trump was back to his customary style and took a dig a at Democrats for cherishing the defeat of his efforts. "Democrats are smiling in DC that the Freedom Caucus, with the help of Club For Growth and Heritage, have saved Planned Parenthood & Ocare!" Trump tweeted.
Priebus said the president is "100 per cent correct" and he hits the bull's eye in that tweet. "We can't be chasing the perfect all the time. I mean, sometimes you have to take the good and put it in your pocket and take the win," he said.
However, the White House Chief of Staff denied that Trump was closing the doors on healthcare, adding that the new bill provided the "largest entitlement reform in modern history".
"I want people out there to understand that this president is not going to be a partisan president. This is a president that wants to provide, he wants to make sure that people don't get left behind. He wants to make sure that there's competition in the marketplace so that rates are lower and people can choose their doctor," he said.
"So, if those three things are incompatible with some members of the Republican House, then it's going to be incompatible, and then we need to work with moderate Democrats to make sure that that happens," Priebus said.
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