Trump makes bewilderingly unnecessary promise to 'veto' single-payer health care

President Trump.
(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump on Thursday reassured surely trembling Republicans that he "will veto" Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) single-payer health-care bill. Sanders introduced the legislation Wednesday with surprisingly solid backing from the Democratic caucus and to lots of media fanfare, but with almost zero chance of it ever passing Congress.

But Trump, puzzlingly, promised he would put an end to the whole affair from the Oval Office, seemingly implying he believes a bill advocating for a public health-care system paid for by higher taxes and managed at the federal level could: garner a majority of votes in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives; win 60 votes in the Senate, where the GOP controls 52 seats; and be agreed upon by both chambers, who propose it to him for a signature.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.