Trump open to changes to ObamaCare repeal measure, conservatives say

by Jordan Fabian - 03/08/17 7:02 PM ET

President Trump is open to changes in House Republicans’ plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare in order to ease concerns of skeptical conservatives, according to leaders who met with him Wednesday.

“I’m encouraged that the president indicated they’re pushing to make changes in the bill,” said David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth, who added the proposal “has serious problems.”

McIntosh and the heads of other groups did not identify specific changes they would like to see. They ignored shouted questions from reporters after they spoke outside the West Wing.

{mosads}Trump invited a half dozen leaders from outside conservative groups to meet with him in the Oval Office, part of his ramped-up sales pitch for the bill.

The president and his team are pressuring conservative holdouts to get behind the repeal-and-replace legislation, which would eliminate many aspects of the Affordable Care Act and create a new tax credit to help people buy insurance.

But conservatives in the House and their allies have trashed the measure, saying it falls short of fully repealing ObamaCare while creating an expensive new entitlement.

“We want to see a full repeal of ObamaCare that actually helps the healthcare that individual Americans receive,” said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer acknowledged earlier Wednesday the bill is “going through the process” and that Trump is open to changes or improvements.

But he said Trump and his team “are very proud of the product” and won’t be shy about pressuring members to support it.

“We are out in full sell mode all round the country talking about how we think this is the best way to solve the problem that the American people face,” Spicer said.

FreedomWorks’ president said the meeting was a good step in the process.

“This was a great step in exchanging ideas to figure out a way that we can all be on the exact same page and I’m confident that at the end of the process ObamaCare will be gone and replaced with a much better alternative,” Adam Brandon said.