House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has brokered a deal with a key block of Democrats that threatened to derail passage of her sweeping bill overhauling drug prices.

Pelosi met late Tuesday with Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Mark Pocan, D-Wis., co-leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The caucus said the legislation didn't go far enough and was threatening to oppose it on the House floor when it is voted on later this week.

The bill originally allowed U.S. health officials to negotiate the prices Medicare pays for at least 35 different prescription drugs. As part of the deal, Democratic leaders agreed to raise that to a minimum of 50 drugs. Pelosi also agreed to restore a provision of the bill that protects employer-sponsored health plans from drug price spikes.

"This is a huge victory for the American people!" Jayapal said in a tweet Tuesday night. "When we stick together, fight hard and with principle, we help improve lives for millions of people."

Tweet

The legislation is widely expected to pass in the House as early as Thursday.

The bill faced a partial setback earlier in the week after progressive Democrats threatened to vote against it in hopes of pressuring leaders to add more dramatic changes. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a high-profile member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters Tuesday that she planned to vote against the drug pricing plan.