President Donald Trump praised Australia’s universal health care system Thursday, telling Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that, “you have better healthcare than we do.”
Trump’s comments, made during a joint press conference with Turnbull in New York, came shortly after the GOP’s second attempt at a health care reform bill was narrowly passed by the Republican-controlled House.
The bill, designed to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s signature Affordable Care Act, now faces a tough audience in the Senate, where some GOP lawmakers are hesitant to support the measure before their re-election bids. Critics say the current version is likely to significantly reduce coverage and cost medical workers jobs.
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Senator Bernie Sanders laughed out loud when he heard Trump’s comment to Turnbull. “The President has just said it, that’s great,” Sanders told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
“Let us move to a medicare for all system that does what every major country on earth does: guarantee health care to all people at a fraction of the cost per capita,” Sanders said. “Thank you Mr. President, we’ll quote you on the floor of the senate.”
