Rand Paul a yes on key healthcare hurdle

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he will vote in favor of a key healthcare vote expected later in the day. 

Paul tweeted that he will vote in favor of a motion to proceed to a debate on healthcare because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told him the chamber would take up the 2015 ObamaCare repeal bill previously passed by Congress.

{mosads}“If this is indeed the plan, I will vote to proceed and I will vote for any all measures that are clean repeal.”

Paul has pushed for a vote on the 2015 bill, which repeals large parts of ObamaCare’s requirements and regulations, instead of the GOP repeal-and-replace plan that Republicans have been working on this year. 

It’s still not clear if McConnell has the 50 votes he needs to proceed to debate. 

But the 2015 repeal bill would need 60 votes, and will likely fail because it won’t get the support of Democrats and some Republicans.

“I’ve been told by leadership their bill would now need 60 votes to pass, votes they do not have. Therefore I believe it will fail,” Paul said, adding, “If we cannot pass full, clean repeal, I’ve also been told we will vote on whatever version of CLEAN repeal we can pass.” 

Paul is likely referring to a new plan to consider a “skinny bill,” which would repeal ObamaCare’s individual and employer mandates and the medical device tax. 

That would be a far narrower measure than the most recent Senate replacement bill, which also scaled down ObamaCare’s subsidies and cut Medicaid.

If that is the plan, I will vote to proceed to have this vote. I also now believe we will be able to defeat the new spending and bailouts.

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 25, 2017