Republican lawmakers are returning to their districts for a two-week recess with little to show for their long-awaited majority in Washington – other than continued policy divisions and an unpopular, controversy-prone president.

Aiming to keep members from going home completely empty-handed despite a years-long campaign promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, House leaders promoted a new amendment to their stalled-out health care plan Thursday. The provision would create high-risk insurance pools, with the hope of bringing warring factions within the party back to the table.

"This brings us closer to the final agreement we all want to achieve," House Speaker Paul Ryan, flanked by an array of conference members, said at a press conference. Ryan had met at the White House with President Trump, who, yearning for a legislative victory after 2 ½ months in office marked by tumult, urged Congress to revive the House bill that failed two weeks ago.

But lawmakers left Washington Thursday without voting on a measure, a sign that progress remains elusive. While they insist conversations will continue through the holiday district work period, they also face the prospect of feedback and pushback from constituents at home. Meanwhile, Trump will be holding down the Republican fort in Washington, where distractions are never in short supply.

The president's approval rating hit an all-time low in the RealClearPolitics average this week at 39 percent. Congressional approval has fallen even lower, to around 19 percent. A Quinnipiac University survey this week found Trump underwater among key supporters -- men and white voters. Republicans' approval rating fell six points over the past two weeks, according to the poll.

Lawmakers don't return to Washington until later this month, just ahead of the 100-day mark of the Trump presidency.

Republicans in the Senate are poised to give Trump his first congressional victory by confirming Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on Friday. Facing an unwavering Democratic filibuster, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell led the Senate to alter chamber rules to allow for a simple majority threshold on high court nominees.

As a candidate, Trump campaigned on the prospect of a Republican president filling the court’s vacant seat with a conservative jurist, and Gorsuch has been hailed in all corners of the party as a strong choice.

"I think a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court is about as important as anything the president and the Senate do," Missouri GOP Sen. Roy Blunt told RealClearPolitics. "And leaving here with that done and a clear path forward in the future is a good thing."

But the nomination has been overtaken by various controversies and breaking news. On the day Gorsuch's confirmation hearings began, for example, FBI Director James Comey announced to the House Intellgence Committee that a counter-intelligence investigation into Russian election meddling and allegations of collusion between Trump associates and Russian agents had been underway for months.

And on the day Senate Republicans cleared the way for Gorsuch's confirmation, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes announced he would recuse himself from his panel's Russia probe in light of an ethics investigation into whether he mishandled classified information.

Meanwhile, the escalating conflict in Syria could add to what’s already on Congress' plate, as Trump weighs responses to Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons attack on civilians this week. CNN reported that the administration is considering military action.

Ahead of the congressional recess, key members of the administration have been lobbying different constituencies within the party—from the House’s moderate Tuesday Group to the conservatives in the Freedom Caucus to obstinate activist groups—to find consensus on a health care bill, even as the president said last month he was ready to move on to tax reform and let Obamacare “explode.” In the weeks since Ryan pulled the American Health Care Act after lacking sufficient GOP votes, Trump has pointed fingers at members of his own party, calling out lawmakers by name on Twitter.

But there is an acknowledgement in the administration that abandoning health care jeopardizes the rest of the president's to-do list. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said health care is the "linchpin" in the Trump agenda, and said the administration is now driving the conversations with lawmakers. Meanwhile, the president continues to warn of political consequences for the party if lawmakers fail to act on the issue.

In an overture to Freedom Caucus members, the White House has floated the idea of state waivers for Obamacare coverage requirements. Chairman Mark Meadows, whom Trump has called out for obstruction, said his members would be open to the idea, but want to see promises in writing first. "The majority, if not almost all of the Freedom Caucus, will vote for it," he said during a Politico “Playbook” interview.

On Thursday, the House Rules Committee approved an amendment to the failed bill that would create a $15 billion federal pool for high-risk individuals seeking coverage. Conservative Reps. Gary Palmer of Alabama and David Schweikert of Arizona sponsored the provision, arguing that it would help bring down the cost of premiums for other groups. The concept has been criticized before for the cost and care consequences for those with pre-existing conditions or other serious health issues. Still, the move is intended to move lawmakers closer to approving the overall legislation, and send a message to constituents that members are working toward a solution.

"We're not there yet, obviously," said New Jersey Rep. Tom MacArthur, a member of the Tuesday Group, who stood by Ryan as he promoted the amendment. "The American people don't care about the process. They care about their health-care premiums, they care about being able to see their doctors, and paying affordable rates."

With the legislative agenda still in limbo, Trump and congressional Republicans have been pointing to executive orders and regulatory initiatives as a sign of progress. Ohio Rep. Pat Tiberi noted that Trump recently invoked the Congressional Review Act to quickly move resolutions to the his desk that roll back previous regulations.

"It's all about trying to frame what we've done," Tiberi said. "I don't think a lot of people realize all the regulatory relief we're providing."

Other lawmakers have tried to downplay the lack of legislative progress on key agenda items and intra-party tensions that have continued despite having a Republican in the White House.

"Don't panic. We'll be OK. ... I don't feel empty-handed at all," said Pennsylvania Rep. Tim Murphy, who practiced psychology before coming to Congress. "Americans should put pressure on members on all sides and say, ‘Hey, get together and get these things done.’"