Vice President Mike Pence will host conservative senators for dinner Tuesday night in an attempt to gain support for the Senate Republican healthcare bill, according to a new report.
Those invited to the dinner with Pence include Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Lee has come out against the bill as it is currently written.
Politico reports the White House has decided to focus its lobbying efforts on undecided conservatives as it seeks to secure the 50 votes needed to pass the healthcare bill through the Senate. Republicans can afford to lose only two votes from its members for the bill to pass.
Pence, a former congressman representing Indiana who chaired the conservative Republican Study Committee, was crucial in working with conservatives in the House to restart negotiations of its healthcare bill after the lower chamber pulled its first version of the bill from the floor.
On Monday night, after the Congressional Budget Office released its score of the Senate heathcare bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said lawmakers would “soon take action” on the legislation.
So far, at least five senators want changes in exchange for their support, including four who want to push the bill in a more conservative direction.
