Sen. Rand Paul accused “big-government Republicans” of going “back on their word to repeal Obamacare” by supporting the revised Senate health care bill.
“The real problem we have is, we won four elections on repealing Obamacare, but this bill keeps most of the Obamacare taxes, keeps most of the regulations, keeps most of the subsidies, and creates something that Republicans have never been for, that’s a giant insurance bailout super fund,” Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“So it kind of annoys me that Republicans are going back on their word to repeal Obamacare,” he said.
Mr. Paul said he does not believe Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a fellow Kentucky Republican, has the votes to pass the health care bill as currently constituted.
“I don’t think right now he does,” he said.
Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, also has indicated she will not support the bill.
Mr. Paul said he’s open to repealing Obamacare outright and replacing it later.
“The one thing we should do is try to repeal as many of the taxes, as many of the regulations and as many of the mandates as we possibly can,” he said. “I still think the entire 52 of us could get together on a more narrow, clean repeal, and I still think it can be done.”
Mr. McConnell announced Saturday that the vote will be delayed while Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, recovers from surgery.
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