President Donald Trump told Republican senators Wednesday they should stay in Washington, D.C., through the August recess and continue work on healthcare reform following the failure of the Better Care Reconciliation Act to repeal and replace the ACA, reports Reuters.
The remarks were made to the 49 Republican senators attending a White House lunch with the president Wednesday, two days after the BCRA collapsed due to opposition from some moderate and conservative GOP senators.
"We can repeal, but we should repeal and replace, and we shouldn't leave town until this is complete," President Trump said at the meeting, according to the report.
Reuters notes even if Republican senators continue work on healthcare in the immediate future, it will be a challenge to garner support for an ACA overhaul from both moderates and conservatives.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has proposed a full ACA repeal strategy that involves repealing major portions of the ACA and initiating a two-year delay to allow for development of a replacement plan. However, multiple GOP senators have already come out against the strategy.
Read President Trump's full remarks from the Wednesday lunch in this NPR report.