Durbin: GOP Should Work With Dems to Save Health Care

A possibility exits for a bipartisan deal to rework Obamacare, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin told Fox News on Sunday.

"As long as we take repeal off the table, there are a lot of Democrats who want to take a chair to the table…Let's sit down together," the Illinois senator said.

Durbin said that he does not agree with many aspects of the plan proposed by Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy and Susan Collins, but emphasized that "it's a good faith effort to do two things: Reduce the cost of health insurance and expand the reach of health insurance. That should be our national goal."

However, Durbin lamented that Cassidy and Collins "are not in the room with the 13 apostles that [Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell's chosen to come up with the Republicans plan."

He also criticized the Trump administration, which Durbin said from its first day in office has tried to "find ways to cut off support for our health care system."

Instead, the senator insisted, "We have to have an effort made to sustain the current system while we repair it. We shouldn't be sabotaging it."

• Rep. Tom Cole: 'Morally Wrong' to Just Let Obamacare Collapse
• CBO: 23M Would Lose Health Insurance, Deficit Would Fall $119B Under GOP Bill