'Trump has scrambled' health care talks as his abortion stance backfires: reporter

President Donald Trump has "scrambled" the bipartisan congressional talks on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman reported on Thursday — by pushing Republicans to make a concession many of them aren't willing to make.

For over a month now, Democrats and Republicans have both agreed to the broad outlines of a deal on the subsidies, which expired at the end of last year after a dramatic shutdown standoff and have resulted in millions of people facing higher health care premiums across the country, particularly in a handful of Republican-controlled states. The idea is to extend the subsidies for two years, but put stricter limits on income, and get rid of $0 premium plans the GOP believes invite a risk of fraud.

The key sticking point, however, has been the Hyde Amendment, the provision attached to almost every federal spending bill that prohibits taxpayer money from being used for elective abortions. The ACA as written already prohibits federal funding for abortion coverage, but does allow states or insurance companies to separately fund abortion coverage in ACA plans with other revenue streams. Republicans want a total ban on abortion coverage in any plan that even touches the ACA insurance exchanges — something Democrats have called a nonstarter.

Earlier this week, Trump appeared to tell Republicans to stand down on this, telling them "you have to be a little flexible" on the Hyde Amendment. But according to Punchbowl News, this has had the opposite effect, enraging GOP hardliners and causing them to dig in.

"Trump’s comments sparked immediate outrage from anti-abortion rights groups, as well as pushback from Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders — effectively sapping any momentum Trump’s prodding may have ignited," said the report. "Behind the scenes, key Republicans are complaining that Trump, who’s been completely disconnected from the bipartisan Obamacare negotiations, is leaving them twisting in the wind."

One GOP senator lamented, "If he felt strongly enough to prod us in public, why doesn’t he send his advisers to come meet with us and work out a deal? If the White House embraces a deal that’s squishy on Hyde, I have no doubt in the world that he can convince enough of us to vote for it.”