Trump turns up the heat on Senate Republicans over health care bill

President Donald Trump called out Senate Republicans on Saturday, once again calling on them to repeal and replace the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

In two social media posts made on Twitter, Trump said the Senate “must step up to the plate” and “Repeal and Replace” Obamacare.

“The Republican Senators must step up to the plate and, after 7 years, vote to Repeal and Replace. Next, Tax Reform and Infrastructure. WIN!” Trump wrote on Saturday.

The Republican Senators must step up to the plate and, after 7 years, vote to Repeal and Replace. Next, Tax Reform and Infrastructure. WIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2017

Trump also criticized Democrats, who he called “obstructionists” with “no ideas or votes.”

“ObamaCare is dead and the Democrats are obstructionists, no ideas or votes, only obstruction,” Trump wrote. “It is solely up to the 52 Republican Senators!”

ObamaCare is dead and the Democrats are obstructionists, no ideas or votes, only obstruction. It is solely up to the 52 Republican Senators!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2017

Trump’s comments come at the end of a week in which the Republicans’ latest version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act was effectively killed by Republican Sens. Jerry Moran (Kan.) and Mike Lee (Utah) and the Senate leadership’s back-up plan — a repeal of Obamacare without an immediate replacement plan — was shot down by several moderate Republicans.

On Wednesday, Republican senators met with Trump in a meeting in which Trump reportedly heavily criticized the senators for failing to come up with a plan. During the lunch meeting, which included 49 senators, Republicans were told they needed to swiftly develop a proposal that could pass both houses of Congress, reported Reuters on Thursday.

On Wednesday evening, the senators met to resolve their differences, but a resolution failed to materialize during the meeting, which Reuters reported did not include Senate staff.

The Washington Examiner reported on Saturday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still plans to hold a vote next week, regardless of what several senators have been saying about voting against the proposed legislation.