With first 100 days almost up, Trump prods GOP to pass revised healthcare bill

The Trump administration is pressuring Republicans in the House to vote on a healthcare reform bill as early as next week in hopes of securing a legislative win during the president’s first 100 days in office.

Leaders from the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the moderate Tuesday Group indicated Thursday that they had reached a deal to amend the American Health Care Act to appease both factions—notably by giving states the option to waive the American Health Care Act's community rating provision.

But at least one advocacy group is not impressed with the newly proposed changes to the bill.

"While President Trump and leaders in Congress promised to protect health coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, this new plan undermines this critically important and wildly popular ACA provision," Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, wrote in an emailed statement.

It's also still not clear whether that compromise will be enough to get the bill to pass, Politico reported.

Lawmakers had to pull a previous version of the ACA repeal and replacement bill after it failed to garner enough Republican votes, a major embarrassment for the party.

White House officials have hinted that a vote on a revised bill could come as early as next week, but House GOP sources said that was unlikely, according to the article. Congress returns Tuesday from recess, and trying to vote next week would leave lawmakers with only one day to whip votes for the bill, a tall order for such a contentious issue.

Trump tried a similar, though more urgent gambit with the previous bill. At the time, he said he was finished negotiating on healthcare and would move on if the bill failed, but Trump has since reiterated that healthcare is the party’s legislative priority. He still wants to repeal the ACA before moving on to one of his ultimate goals, tax reform.

The administration has not set a hard deadline for a healthcare bill to pass, but Trump said at a news conference on Thursday that the plan is getting “better and better” and “a lot of people are liking it a lot,” according to an article from The New York Times.

“We have a good chance of getting it soon,” Trump said. “I’d like to say next week, but it will be—I believe we will get it. And whether it’s next week or shortly thereafter.”

However, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at his daily briefing Friday that there isn't a specific deadline set for the bill to pass.