White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Thursday that he fully expects the American Health Care Act to reach a floor vote on Thursday evening, even though the legislation faces continued resistance from conservative Republicans.
Asked whether the vote could be delayed until President Trump strikes a deal to ensures its passage, Spicer said “nothing leads me to believe that is the case.”
“That would obviously be up to Speaker Paul Ryan and [House Majority] Leader [Kevin] McCarthy,” he said.
Spicer also said the president has not asked the House to delay the vote, even as he continues to meet with lawmakers to gather enough Republicans to ensure its passage. But Spicer nevertheless expressed confidence that it would pass.
Trump has been working around the clock to strike a deal with conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus without leading moderate Republicans to abandon the healthcare bill.
“You’ve got to make sure that certain people don’t fall off the end as you pick up certain people,” Spicer told reporters.
The White House described a meeting between Trump and 30 Freedom Caucus members earlier Thursday as a “positive step” toward brokering an agreement on the bill, claiming they agreed that the GOP’s “ultimate goal is to implement a system that will drive down costs and increase access to healthcare for millions of Americans.”
Trump will also host the Tuesday Group, a caucus of moderate Republicans, at the White House before the vote late Thursday.
