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Vice President Mike Pence posted this picture with the caption: 'Appreciated joining @POTUS for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again today. This is it. #PassTheBill'. Picture: Twitter/@VP
A ROOM full of men, including US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, has met to decide the fate of women’s health coverage in America.
A picture tweeted by Mr Pence of the “Freedom Caucus†meeting to discuss legislation showed a room full of middle-aged white men in suits.
The purpose of the meeting was to propose to the president what changes the all-male committee would like to see made to the health care bill. Among the issues tabled at the meeting was a proposal to limit maternity coverage in plans across the US.
It comes as Senators have foreshadowed the possibility of the GP health care bill easing federal requirements on coverage of basic services such as mammograms. Republican Senator Pat Roberts has since apologised for this.
Democratic Jim McGovern was among the first to point out what was wrong with the picture, labelling the meeting “outrageousâ€.
“Not a single woman in the room as @Mike_Pence and @HouseGOP propose removing maternity coverage in #Trumpcare,†he tweeted.
Others quickly jumped on board.
An image taken from another angle showed two women in the background, and President Trump’s media adviser Kellyanne Conway was reportedly there, but that wasn’t enough to quell outrage.
Freedom Caucus members have opposed the legislation pushed by GOP leaders, saying it doesn’t go far enough to repeal “Obamacareâ€. President Trump has been meeting with fellow Republican politicians trying to get them over the line on his version of the bill.
The chair of the caucus emerged from the closed-door meeting saying the committee was still not happy with the GOP healthcare bill, which President Trump is pushing for votes for, and there was “no deal†on the health care legislation after the White House meeting.
Reaction to the picture follows a similar swell of outrage that came in the wake of President Trump’s executive order barring any recipient of US assistance from performing or promoting abortions abroad.
The order was signed and proudly showed off by President Trump, again, surrounded by men.
Again, all men: US President Donald Trump signs an executive order on abortion in the Oval Office of the White House. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP PhotoSource:AFP