McConnell says Trump needs to provide clarity on health care

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he is ready to move a bipartisan health care bill but needs President Donald Trump first to clarify that he will sign it.

'What I'm waiting is to hear from President Trump what kind of health care bill he might sign,” McConnell said in an interview on CNN's 'State of the Union.” 'I think he hasn't made a final decision. When he does, and I know that we're not just debating it, but actually passing something to be signed, I would be happy to bring it up.”

Last week, Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced an agreement to restore federal payments that help offset out-of-pocket health insurance costs for low-income Americans. The deal would give states more flexibility in how they regulate health coverage, a conservative goal.

But the administration signaled to Senate Republican negotiators on Friday that it also wants to give individuals and employers retroactive relief from the Affordable Care Act's insurance mandate.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday that 'all 48 Democrats” in the Senate are ready to support the bipartisan agreement and that McConnell should bring it to the floor now. 'This is a good compromise. It took months to work out,” Schumer said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.” 'It has 60 senators supporting it. We have all 48 Democrats, 12 Republicans. I would urge Senator McConnell to put it on the floor immediately, this week. It will pass. It will pass by a large number of votes. That will put pressure on the House.”

Schumer declined to say whether he would be willing to engage in more negotiations on the measure. 'We have an agreement,” he said. 'We want to stick by it.”