President Trump spoke on the phone with a handful of Republican lawmakers blocking his “big, beautiful bill” in the early hours of Thursday morning, as GOP leaders race to coalesce the conference around the sprawling package. Reporter Bernie Bennett has details. VERBATIM: The phone call came as a key procedural vote for the mega bill […]
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President Trump Spoke with GOP Holdouts Before Vote
President Trump spoke on the phone with a handful of Republican lawmakers blocking his “big, beautiful bill” in the early hours of Thursday morning, as GOP leaders race to coalesce the conference around the sprawling package. Reporter Bernie Bennett has details.
VERBATIM: The phone call came as a key procedural vote for the mega bill remained open for almost four hours, with hardline conservatives and one moderate Republican keeping the bill from moving forward.
As of 2 a.m. Thursday, the vote was 207 to 217, with five Republicans voting “no” and eight voting present. The combination has threatened to tank the rule, since Democrats are united against it, and a vote on the final package can’t proceed without that rule.
President Trump spoke to some of those holdouts, who were seen entering the room shortly before the call began.
Bernie Bennett in Washington.