President Trump’s chief strategist Stephen Bannon and his chief of staff Reince Priebus were meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan and several conservative lawmakers late Thursday afternoon in a bid to convince them to support an emerging Obamacare repeal bill.
The meeting, which the White House confirmed also included Trump’s budget chief Mick Mulvaney, was being held just hours after the GOP had to delay a vote on the measure.
The meeting shows another escalation of Trump’s effort to win over skeptical House lawmakers who have yet to give support for the bill Trump and Ryan want to pass this week.
The latest offer made by Trump and Ryan is to ensure the bill kills off the so-called “essential health benefits” now in Obamacare. Those include things like preventive care and maternity benefits, elements conservatives want to get rid of in order to reduce the federal government’s control over the health insurance industry.
At the same time, moderate House lawmakers were meeting in the White House. The Trump administration is hoping that faction of GOP lawmakers can stay supportive of the bill while changes are being made to placate conservatives.
House Republicans were expected to gather together for a meeting at 7 p.m., to see if they can agree on a single bill.
By 8 p.m., the House is expected to hold a vote on a rule aimed at allowing lawmakers to quickly pass a bill if a final deal emerges by Friday. GOP leaders are expected to continue whipping for votes during that procedural vote.
