The American Health Care Act could potentially garner more "yes" votes after the conservative House Freedom Caucus decided not to oppose the ACA replacement proposal as a bloc, reports USA Today.
Here are three things to know.
1. The House Freedom Caucus, which has about 36 members, previously lobbied for a more conservative healthcare bill than the AHCA and could have decided to oppose the legislation as a bloc, according to the report. That opposition, the report notes, could have significantly threatened the House's ability to pass the AHCA.
2. Commenting on the House Freedom Caucus' decision, the group's chairman, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Monday: "We're not taking any official positions. I'm going to encourage [members] to vote for their constituents," reports USA Today.
"We made a decision not to [vote as a bloc against the AHCA]; obviously we were negotiating in good faith. Obviously we've come out, we've taken positions on what we're for and to take a position against a bill creates some dynamics within the group that perhaps we don't want to create," he added later that day.
3. Even with the decision, several House Freedom Caucus members, including Rep. Meadows, said late Monday they still anticipate most of the group will oppose the proposed healthcare bill, according to the report.