Rand: WH Trying to Cajole and Woo Conservatives ‘To Give In’ on Obamacare Replacement

On Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) stated that ” very conservative that’s come out publicly opposed to” the current Obamacare replacement “has been called by the White House and is being cajoled and wooed by the White House to give in,” because “I think the White House, the administration, and the president understands that there’s enough conservatives that they can’t pass Obamacare lite.”

Rand reiterated his prior criticism that the current replacement is “Obamacare lite, keeps subsidies, keeps taxes, actually keeps an individual mandate, and bails out the insurance companies.” Rand then touted his replacement plan as one that eliminates mandates, allows expansions of health savings accounts, and allows individuals to join groups to get cheaper insurance and guaranteed issue through the free market. He further said that his replacement doesn’t deal with Medicaid expansion, and that issue should be addressed in a repeal vote, but that he’s open to a separate vote on Medicaid expansion.

Later on, Rand said, “I think the White House, the administration, and the president understands that there’s enough conservatives that they can’t pass Obamacare lite. That’s why, this week, what’s going on behind the scenes is a charm offensive. Every conservative that’s come out publicly opposed to this, has been called by the White House and is being cajoled and wooed by the White House to give in, but if conservatives stick together, if we stick together, we will have a force and a negotiation, and we will talk about clean repeal versus replacement, if we stick together, because they don’t think they have the numbers to pass this at this point.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett