Healthcare vote delay is a continuing trend of misteps during Trump’s first 100 days

By Ruth Ferguson, NDG Editor

The House of Representatives did not have enough votes to pass their so-called Obamacare “repeal and replace” bill, leaving many unsurprised when the scheduled vote was canceled Thursday afternoon. This appears to be another misstep by President Donald Trump and his staff. This is especially true when Trump’s direct efforts to coerce and threaten lack of re-election support from him next year, failed to sway undecided Republicans.

The Republicans do not need the support of Democrats to pass the vote, since none plan to vote for the measure is a good thing. The battle is between the hard conservatives who want all mandates removed from proposed replacement. These mandates include coverage for prescriptions and pre-existing conditions. Moderate GOP representatives have balked at this proposal because they know many voters have come to expect this, and without the mandates, there are no guarantees insurers will continue to provide these and other critical coverage options.

Has Trump squandered political clout?

In this age of 24-hour news, incoming administrations carefully plan how they will rollout their legislative and policy agenda, in an effort to position a new president to project leadership and a firm grip at the helm of the new direction and agenda he is charting for America. Instead, the current administration finds itself battling allegations related to an investigation by the FBI regarding campaign’s ties to Russian operatives, historically low approval ratings and whatever firestorm the president’s latest tweets have generated.

Trump has given mixed messages on his position related to Obamacare. As he entered office there was a suggestion Obamacare would be phased out versus a wholesale change. Then in recent weeks, the campaign rhetoric returned. But is it too little too late?

Jeffrey Engel, director of the SMU Center for Presidential History, suggests a narrow window of opportunity is closing. 

“Presidents typically enter office with as much political capital as they are ever going to have and the good will of their party. Trump has neither,” according to Engel.

Trump’s campaign-style rallies may point to continued popularity with his voters, but that does not translate into legislative victories. “When a candidate like Trump runs not only as an outsider, but as an insurgent and revolutionary within his own party, he has no friends or favors to call upon when he needs to whip votes,” Engel points out. This can explain why his meetings with on-the-fence GOP members yielded little results today.

That failure not only does not bode well for turning the tide on this fight, but barring a major turnaround, it could mean Trump will not produce any major legislative wins.

“If a president can’t get something big done in their first few months when they are at their most powerful, they usually won’t get it done,” Engel shared. “The GOP might have both houses majorities, but those majorities aren’t big enough that an unpopular president can’t weigh them all down like an anchor.”

The Art of the Deal in the Oval Office is not as easy as the boardroom

Trump may have written the book on The Art of the Deal, but he is quickly discovering, those tactics only go so far in the world of politics. Successful businesses usually don’t try the throw it on the wall and see what sticks approach this administration is attempting. Whether it is an IPO, rebranding, or new product launch, successful business leaders direct teams who put in their work to ensure launches and key initiatives go as smoothly as possible.

Rita Kirk, professor of communication studies and director of the Maguire Center for Ethics & Public Responsibility at SMU, points out that slower but prepared approach leads to better results.

“Sometimes, to get a really good plan you need to move slowly,” Kirk said.  “This rush to get something done within the first 100 days might not be the perfect approach to getting something passed. The politicians who are being asked to vote for this must go back to their districts and win re-election in two years. The flood of constituent emails about the initial American Health Care Act proposal and what people were hearing about their costs going up hasn’t been terribly encouraging.”

Can Trump’s team turn it around? Of course they can. But only if they make key change which might prove a strain for their team.

“The lesson is: think before you speak, which is not a hallmark of this administration,” Kirk said. But this is where rushing gets you in trouble. You can talk all you want, but when it comes to legislation, it takes more than that.”