Washington (CNN) Vice President Mike Pence's attempt to peel away House Republicans to support the White House's tax plan spurred a backlash among a critical bloc of conservative lawmakers Wednesday, Hill sources said.

Pence pressed Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker to poll his members to see if they would split with House Speaker Paul Ryan and support the White House tax plan -- which lacks a border tax that is the centerpiece of the House GOP proposal.

But in a flurry of exchanges Wednesday afternoon, Republican Study Committee members turned on the White House, saying they should not blindly accept whatever President Donald Trump is selling, the sources told CNN.

The drama started with an 11:30 a.m. text Wednesday from Walker to members of the group's leadership, saying that Pence asked him to get RSC members to break with Ryan and support the White House tax plan.

A heated discussion ensued over text, with some RSC members suggesting they should support the President -- and multiple others saying it was their job to be an independent branch of government and saying that they should not abandon House leaders.

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