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Paul, a self-professed libertarian, has been loudly opposing the stabilization funding in the Republican bill for weeks. He told me a month ago he would oppose a bill with that kind of money directed to health insurers.

"If you told me I couldn't repeal everything and some of Obamacare would remain, I would vote for that as an imperfect bill," he said then. "But I'm not voting for one that has new Republican entitlement programs like that stabilization fund they're talking about is a Republican entitlement program for a billion-dollar insurance industry."

He hasn't softened at all on that position, even though most Republicans believe stabilization funding is necessary to keep the Obamacare markets functioning for a few years before they transition to a new health care system.

There have been no indications that the money will be removed in the revised bill.

"I personally believe that all of the pork that's being added to the bill is not a conservative notion," Paul told reporters on the conference call, repeatedly referring to the stabilization money as an "insurance bailout superfund."

Paul's fixation on the insurance funding separates him from Cruz and Lee, the conservatives who he is otherwise allied with. The other two are conditioning their support on a Cruz proposal that would allow health insurers to sell non-Obamacare insurance as long as they also sold plans that complied with the health care law. The policy is currently being reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office and is expected to be included in one of the two versions of the revised Senate bill released Thursday.

But Paul actually said Wednesday that the Cruz amendment could make his problems with the Senate bill worse. The policy could drive up costs for people in the Obamacare markets, as Vox's Sarah Kliff detailed, which the federal government would then have to step in and subsidize to prevent a death spiral.

"The impressions and the rumors that we're hearing is that's gonna mean a lot more money in insurance bailout fund and ultimately also mean some sort of price controls," Paul said on the conference call, adding that was "foreign to any notion of capitalism."

Paul's solution, if next week's vote fails, is to scrap any replacement provisions and focus on the parts of Obamacare that Republicans can agree to repeal. Even Collins, for example, has said some taxes on the health care industry should be scrapped because they drive up the cost of health insurance.

"I guarantee that, on repeal, Susan Collins and I have common ground," Paul said.

Then, the other Senate Republicans could work with Democrats on a different bill with other policies, like stabilization funding, that Paul opposes. The senator left it to his GOP colleagues to pass "big government spending priorities" with Democratic votes.

"Conservatives won't come onboard, or at least this conservative won't, if the bill includes an insurance bailout superfund," Paul said on his conference call.

That promise will be put to the test soon.

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Rand Paul sounds ready to kill the Senate health-care bill - CNBC

The Libertarian Republic

Rand Paul to Jeff Sessions: Uphold the Law for Industrial Hemp The Libertarian Republic In a press release published on Friday, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reassure industrial hemp farmers that he would uphold the law.Paul's fellow Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), ...

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Rand Paul to Jeff Sessions: Uphold the Law for Industrial Hemp - The Libertarian Republic

Sen. Rand PaulRand PaulMcConnell presses holdouts: Lets vote Overnight Healthcare: McConnell warns Senate not to block repeal debate | Insurers knock Cruz proposal | WH tries to discredit CBO | Lawmakers propose .1B NIH funding boost McConnell warns Senate: Don't block ObamaCare repeal debate MORE (R-Ky.) in a new op-ed blaststhe Senate GOP's healthcare bill, saying it doesn't repeal ObamaCare.

In thepiece publishedWednesday on Breitbart News, Paul criticizedObamaCare and targetedthose in the GOP who he said are not upholding their commitment to repeal the former president's signature healthcare legislation.

Paul a vocal critic of the healthcare bill said he's not able to support the Senate GOP's proposal in its current form.

"I miss the old days, when Republicans stood for repealing Obamacare. Republicans across the country and every member of my caucus campaigned on repeal often declaring they would tear out Obamacare 'root and branch!'" Paul wrote in the op-ed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Now too many Republicans are falling all over themselves to stuff hundreds of billions of taxpayers dollars into a bill that doesnt repeal Obamacare and feeds Big Insurance a huge bailout."

Paul then made clear that he does not believe the Senate's healthcare bill repeals ObamaCare.

"I want to repeat that so everyone realizes why Ill vote 'no' as it stands now," Paul wrote. "The Senate Obamacare bill does not repeal Obamacare. Not even close."

Instead, Paul said, the Senate GOP's healthcare bill "codifies and likely expands many aspects of Obamacare."

"One might even argue its worse than Obamacare-lite because it actually creates a giant superfund to bail out the insurance companies something even the Democrats feared to do," Paul wrote.

He added that theGOP's establishment had saidRepublicans can't repeal ObamaCare until they have all three branches of government.

"Finally, in 2016, that came to pass. Republicans now control all three branches of government," Paul wrote.

"And . . . the best that is offered is Obamacare-lite: keeping the Obamacare subsidies, keeping some of the Obamacare taxes, creating a giant insurance bailout superfund, and keeping most of the Obamacare regulations."

"Shame. Shame on many in the GOP for promising repeal and instead affirming, keeping, and, in some cases, expanding Obamacare. What a shame."

Senate Republican leaders are expected Thursday to reveal a new version of theirhealthcare legislation, known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act.

The revised legislation will include concessions to centrists and conservatives in an effort to win51 votes for passage.

Paul has also pushed forpursuing a full repeal of ObamaCare before doing a replacement, an idea also floated by President Trump.

See more here:
Rand Paul: Senate bill 'does not repeal Obamacare' - The Hill

Editors note: The Registers parent company, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., has papers all over the United States. Each Wednesday, this space will be dedicated to what one of those papers thinks about the issues facing their communities.

We dont always agree with the maverick role that U.S. Sen. Rand Paul often plays in Washington as our junior senator.

Some of his floor votes, usually against his partys position, are difficult to explain or understand but we have to give him credit for being consistent in his political philosophy.

National media often ask him to comment as a conservative voice because he gained credibility with them last year in his determined but ill-fated campaign for president.

For the record, we fully expect to see the Bowling Green eye surgeon trying again in 2020. The next time he wont be distracted by trying to keep his Senate seat at the same time.

As a physician, we believe Paul has credibility that deserves more consideration in the ongoing national health care debate.

In fact, we believe his idea of radically changing association health plans to make medical insurance more price competitive might become one of the answers to fixing Obamacare without breaking the bank.

In simple terms, an association health plan would use the purchasing power of tens of thousands of persons who belong to various organizations to negotiate with insurance companies for lower rates and better coverage.

We see the concept as group health insurance by another name. It would require major changes in existing laws governing such insurance.

Paul met recently with representatives of 25 Kentucky groups which have affiliations with almost two million Kentuckians, including employees, members and families.

Try to imagine the impact of informing the giant insurance companies that you have that much buying power.

However, insurance companies have some of the most influential lobbyists at the federal and state levels.

Putting Pauls proposal into action would be a major legislative feat but it may be the only way forward for those who want affordable insurance.

Sen. Mitch McConnell and other GOP leaders are struggling to pass the latest health care bill.

In our opinion, its time for them to get behind Sen. Pauls group buying approach to lowering health insurance costs.

The Morehead News

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Rand Paul has a good idea - Richmond Register

Pence hit the road once again on Wednesday to promote the Trump administration's agenda. It's a seat that he's comfortable in: traveling to politically important states and selling healthcare on behalf of the administration, something he's been doing since the spring.

While the president had no public events on Wednesday, the vice president traveled to Kentucky, a state that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in the election, for a roundtable listening session, a speech, and a private reception in Lexington.

Pence boldly promised the crowd that the administration and Congress would repeal and replace Obamacare "before the summer's out."

"Let me say from my heart, the President and I really like Senator Rand Paul. Senator Rand Paul is a great conservative and a great legislator and he does Kentucky proud," Pence said from the podium.

In a political move, Pence placed blame on Democrats for obstructing the path toward reforming the healthcare policy.

"I mean, Democrats in Congress would rather let Obamacare implode than admit their mistake and help Republican majorities rescue the American people."

Toward the end of his remarks, Pence sent a clear message to the two senators.

"When the time comes, Senator Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul will do the right thing together and we will pass legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare," the vice president declared.

Originally posted here:
Pence sends a message to McConnell, Paul on healthcare in their own backyard - CNN