Trump turns to cash as healthcare concerns mount

Trump turns to cash as healthcare concerns mount

With the midterm elections a month away and Republicans struggling to respond to voter frustration over healthcare costs, President Trump is handing out cash .

Last week, Trump pledged $90 to more than tens of millions of seniors on Medicare. That announcement came on top of other pledges to send money to Americans, including $500 ObamaCare “refund” checks that the administration began sending to some Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollees last week.

The president also reiterated a promise of a $5,000 “Trump dividend” to every adult U.S. citizen, contingent on Republicans retaining control of Congress.

The moves are a political Hail Mary that come as Republicans worry that the high cost of healthcare is one of the party’s greatest liabilities.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt Republicans have never been particularly good at healthcare messaging and I certainly don’t think we are winning the day on it right now,” said Jason Cabel Roe , a Michigan-based Republican strategist working on Rep. Tom Barrett’s (R-Mich.) campaign.

However, Cabel Roe said he hasn’t seen healthcare show up in polls as much as he thought it would.

“I think that’s probably leading people to maybe back off dedicating a lot of their messaging to healthcare,” he said .

The Hill’s Nathaniel Weixel and Mallory Wilson have more here .

Welcome to The Hill’s Business & Economy newsletter , I’m Max Rego — covering the intersection of Wall Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Key business and economic news with implications this week and beyond:

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, unveiled a framework Wednesday for regulating artificial intelligence amid growing pressure on lawmakers to address the technology’s risks.

The Trump administration will propose to loosen restrictions that rein in methane from oil and gas production, it announced Wednesday.

Trump predicts ‘Trump Accounts’ will limit spread of socialism, communism

President Trump said Wednesday his administration’s new investment accounts for children will have a “huge effect” in reducing positive views of socialism and communism among young Americans.

Truck stops warned against red-dyed diesel sales: ‘Limited upside’

Truck stops were warned by industry groups against selling red-dyed diesel, saying there is “limited upside” to its sale following reported record-high diesel prices across the U.S.

Business and economic news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

ICE came to town and left behind weakened economies ( CNBC )

Colleges seek answers amid Trump push to cancel tax exemptions over diversity programs ( Politico )

France considers issuing more shorter-term debt after bond-market turmoil ( Wall Street Journal )

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