Former Vice President Mike Pence praised former President Donald Trump during a meeting with congressional Republicans this week, according to one of the lawmakers present. “He spoke very favorably about his relationship with President Trump,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) told CNN. “I got the sense they speak often and maintain the same personal friendship and relationship now that they have for four years.” Banks said a group from his Republican Study Committee convened with Pence in the Washington region at the fellow Indianan’s transition office. They discussed the way forward for the GOP while also speaking about what the party accomplished in the past. Banks, whose office didn’t respond to a request for more information, said he believes Pence will have a more public presence in the coming months, after speaking little since he and Trump left office last month. “He’ll be launching an organization defending the successful Trump-Pence record …