WASHINGTON—Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says her relationship with the White House is not strained even though she voted against repealing Obamacare last week.
“I think it’s fine,” Murkowski told The Daily Caller Wednesday night. She went on to say, “I think we all recognize that we’ve got a lot of issues to work on together, including health care, and we’re going to keep doing that.” Murkowski made this remark just days after President Trump tweeted that she, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, and the entire Senate Democratic caucus “let down” the American people.
3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
Those hoping Murkowski may leave the Republican Party will be disappointed to learn that is not on her agenda
“No way no how,” Murkowski told TheDC when asked if she had plans to defect to the Democratic Party.
Although many Republicans in the upper chamber want to leave the Obamacare repeal debacle behind and move on to tax reform and immigration, some in the party believe the repeal issue is simply at an impasse and can be picked up in the near future when a better consensus forms.
“We’re not done with that,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said at an event at the Newseum Wednesday, noting that he was already working with the White House to move on attempting repealing Obamacare again.
“The media celebration that the vote last week came one vote short, I believe, was premature,” Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz told The Washington Examiner. “We are close, and we could get to yes, and I believe we will.”