Mar 17, 2017

Trump bends key House Republicans on Obamacare replacement

Evan Vucci / AP

After a meeting with several GOP House lawmakers, including members of the Republican Study Committee, President Trump said "every single person in this room is now a yes" on the House health care bill.

Amendments to be added, per a source with direct knowledge:

  • Option for states to receive a Medicaid block grant
  • Option for Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied people
  • Prevention of non-expansion states from expanding Medicaid during the expansion phaseout

Trump said he himself is "100%" behind the bill.

Two sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said every person in the bill committed to vote for the bill after the White House, leadership and the RSC agreed on amendments.

Members present, per a pool report:

  • Robert Aderholt
  • Andy Barr
  • Jim Banks
  • Marsha Blackburn
  • Blake Farenthold
  • Mia Love
  • Barry Loudermilk
  • Patrick McHenry
  • Gary Palmer
  • John Ratcliffe
  • Steve Scalise
  • Mark Walker
  • Bruce Westerman

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Axios
Updated 4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 12,859,834 — Total deaths: 567,123 — Total recoveries — 7,062,085 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 3,297,501— Total deaths: 135,155 — Total recoveries: 1,006,326 — Total tested: 40,282,176 — Map.
  3. States: Florida smashes single-day record for new coronavirus cases with over 15,000 — NYC reports zero coronavirus deaths for first time since pandemic hit.
  4. Public health: Ex-FDA chief projects "apex" of South's coronavirus curve in 2-3 weeks — Coronavirus testing czar: Lockdowns in hotspots "should be on the table"
  5. Education: Betsy DeVos says schools that don't reopen shouldn't get federal funds — Pelosi accuses Trump of "messing with the health of our children."
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Jonathan Swan
4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Scoop: How the White House is trying to trap leakers

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told several White House staffers he's fed specific nuggets of information to suspected leakers to see if they pass them on to reporters — a trap that would confirm his suspicions. "Meadows told me he was doing that," said one former White House official. "I don't know if it ever worked."

Why it matters: This hunt for leakers has put some White House staffers on edge, with multiple officials telling Axios that Meadows has been unusually vocal about his tactics. So far, he's caught only one person, for a minor leak.

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Jacob Knutson
7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

11 GOP congressional nominees support QAnon conspiracy

Lauren Boebert posing in her restaurant in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24. Photo: Emily Kask/AFP

At least 11 Republican congressional nominees have publicly supported or defended the QAnon conspiracy theory movement or some of its tenets — and more aligned with the movement may still find a way onto ballots this year.

Why it matters: Their progress shows how a fringe online forum built on unsubstantiated claims and flagged as a threat by the FBI is seeking a foothold in the U.S. political mainstream.

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