The GOP’s massive bill full of President Trump’s domestic priorities overcame a key hurdle late Wednesday, advancing out of the Rules Committee after a marathon hearing and reaching the floor.
The breakthrough came after Republican leaders released a manager’s amendment to the bill’s text laying out agreements they had reached with moderate and conservative holdouts.
Conservatives emerged from several meetings earlier in the evening signaling they were open to voting for the measure.
Meanwhile, at the White House, President Trump greeted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, about a week after the U.S. welcomed a group of white South Africans, Afrikaners, as refugees.
Trump defended the administration’s Afrikaner refugee resettlement program, saying he will be discussing the “genocide” with Ramaphosa in a private meeting. He then surprised Ramaphosa with a video that purported to back up the administration’s claims of white farmers being persecuted in South Africa. The two leaders were to have lunch then a bilateral meeting.
At the day’s start, House Democrats lost a member: Virginia’s Rep. Gerry Connolly died Wednesday morning after a short cancer stint. He was 75.
Follow along all day for updates to these stories and more.
