President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the passage of the GOP's tax reform bill would eventually result in Democrats and Republicans working together on healthcare reform, according to a report from Politico.
While the president and Republicans have previously failed to repeal the ACA, the tax reform bill the president signed on Dec. 22 included a provision to end the health law's individual insurance mandate. The mandate imposed a tax penalty on those without insurance to incentivize enrollment. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the elimination of the provision will increase the number of uninsured Americans by 4 million in 2019 and 13 million in 2027, but could reduce government spending by $300 billion over the next 10 years.
"Based on the fact that the very unfair and unpopular Individual Mandate has been terminated as part of our Tax Cut Bill, which essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare, the Democrats & Republicans will eventually come together and develop a great new HealthCare plan," President Trump tweeted on Tuesday.
The White House has previously stated President Trump wants Congress to address two pieces of legislation related to the ACA in January: one to fund a key ACA insurance subsidy program and another to provide reinsurance funding to aid insurers in covering high risk enrollees. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the Senate will likely move past ACA-related legislation in 2018, according to Politico.