Members of the House Freedom Caucus left a White House meeting on Thursday without reaching a deal to back the House-led effort to replace Obamacare.
President Donald Trump personally met with more than 30 members of the caucus but was unable to sway the caucus to support the bill.
“The group agreed that their ultimate goal is to implement a system that will drive down costs and increase access to healthcare for millions of Americans,” read a White House readout of the meeting. “This meeting was a positive step toward that goal.”
White House press secretary Sean Spicer asserted during the daily press briefing that some of the members in the caucus stood up and signaled their support for the president during the meeting. Spicer declined to name those who announced support for the president, but he said that the process was a “balancing act” and felt “very buoyed” by the results.
“I like the direction this thing is going,” Spicer said.
A congressional source familiar with the meeting identified Rep. Ted Poe from Texas as the only member of the Freedom Caucus who stood up to support the bill. The source downplayed the display of support, noting that Poe was expected to vote yes on the bill.
The White House revealed that the “Tuesday Group” House Republican moderates would also meet at the White House.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is expected to hold a press conference at 3:30 p.m. to address questions about the bill that is scheduled to take place at some point today.
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