This Day in Trump, Day 61: Lobbying House GOP on Healthcare Bill

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump began the 61st day of his administration with a visit to Capitol Hill as part of a full-court press from the White House on the House GOP health care bill.But despite the president’s warning that blocking the bill could have political consequences, conservative opponents to the measure remained mostly unmoved, potentially setting up a significant failure for GOP party leaders when the legislation comes up for a vote on Thursday.Highlight of the dayTrump warned House Republicans that they may be at risk of losing their seats in 2018 if they don’t follow through with longtime promises to repeal his predecessor’s signature health care bill.But skeptical conservatives urged the president to focus on their policy complaints about the bill -- named the American Health Care Act -- rather than discussing the political factors involved.At one point, Trump singled out Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus whose members have steadfastly opposed the bill. But Meadows said after the meeting that, despite his “utmost respect” for the president, the message had not changed his mind on the policy issues.Some conservatives, like Rep. Randy Weber of Friendswood, are so opposed to the bill that they joked that they would pretend their cell phone connection was bad if Trump called them individually to talk about it.  Continue reading...