Ryan 'Listening' to Concerns as Obamacare Repeal Advances to Next Level

The House Budget Committee voted narrowly to advance the American Health Care Act, the Republican measure drawn up to replace Obamacare, as promised by President Trump during the campaign.

The House voted Thursday 19 to 17 to advance the GOP Health Care bill, with Democrats unanimously voting no.

President Trump promised on the campaign trail to repeal and replace Obamacare. Earlier this week, he praised the Republican alternative, saying, "It provides tax credits to people to purchase the care that is rightfully theirs."

House Speaker Paul Ryan says the House leadership bill offers better opportunities for health care.

"For families this means lower costs. It means more choices. It means a more vibrant marketplace where insurance companies compete against each other for your business, not some monopoly," Ryan said.

But some conservative Republicans have issues with the plan, saying it doesn't go far enough in undoing Obamacare.

The president is reportedly willing to tweak the bill to help reassure those conservatives. Ryan says the president is helping to bridge the gaps among various GOP factions.

"We're working hand in glove listening to the concerns of our members," Ryan said during his weekly press conference. "The president of the United States has been meeting people, sitting around the table, hashing out our differences so that we can get to a consensus document."

And President Trump says "We're going to arbitrate, we're going to all get together, [and] we're going to get something done."

A senior White House official says the president is very committed and frequently reminds Republican lawmakers of their campaign promise to the American people to repeal and replace Obamacare.