Trump pledges to ‘abide’ by deal to end government shutdown — but vows to upend Obamacare subsidies

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Monday that he will abide by the terms of a deal ending the ongoing 41-day government shutdown — but that Republicans will pursue a new plan to replace expiring health insurance subsidies that triggered the funding lapse.

Trump said that the government would fully reopen “very quickly” amid the mass-cancelation of flights caused by federal workers taking time off to work side jobs to earn money.

“I’ll abide by the deal. The deal is very good,” the president said when asked about a provision requiring him to re-hire federal workers who were fired during the shutdown.

The deal brokered by eight Democratic senators guarantees an open vote on extending more generous pandemic-era Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire Dec. 31 for about 22 million people.

But the deal doesn’t guarantee an outcome for that vote and Trump made clear he prefers a different resolution.

“We want a health care system where we pay the money to the people instead of the insurance companies,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

“We’re going to be working on that very hard over the next short period of time, where the people get the money. We’re talking about trillions and trillions of dollars, where the people get the money.”

Other Republicans are pushing for price transparency legislation that could drive down healthcare costs.

There appears to be enough support in the House to extend the current insurance subsidies, due to the number of Republicans cosponsors for an extension, but it’s unclear if enough Senate Republicans could put the benefits over the 60-vote threshold for most legislation.

Democrats’ failure to guarantee an extension of the subsidies outraged many party members who are refusing to go along with the reopening deal.

The continuing resolution expected to pass this week would fund the government through Jan. 30 and give back pay to federal workers furloughed since Oct. 1.