Rand Paul meets with Freedom Caucus on Obamacare repeal – Washington Examiner

Sen. Rand Paul and several members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus met Monday to try to create a new path on repealing Obamacare, but the Kentucky Republican conceded that a major sticking point that doomed the GOP's prior effort remains.

The short summit Monday in Paul's Senate office comes as the White House is trying to rev up talks with the Freedom Caucus and the moderate Tuesday Group to end a major impasse on how to repeal Obamacare.

Paul, who golfed with President Trump last weekend, told reporters after the meeting that the House Freedom Caucus is still open to discussions. But he acknowledged that a major sticking point is what to do about Obamacare's insurance regulations, including those that ended limits on how much an insurer had to pay a patient over his lifetime.

"We want to make sure that the death spiral of Obamacare is fixed," said Paul, who opposed the American Health Care Act, the House leadership's bill to partiall repeal and replace Obamcare that was pulled nearly two weeks ago because of insufficient support.

Paul said he discussed Obamacare repeal with Trump during their golf outing.

He advocated scrapping the American Health Care Act entirely.

"I think where they are is still trying to make it work with what they have and accept what they have with small tweaks to the existing bill," Paul said, referring to the White House.

During negotiations two weeks ago on the American Health Care Act, the Freedom Caucus wanted the White House to include cutting most of Obamacare's regulations on insurers. However, the White House agreed only to cut the regulation that insurers cover 10 essential health benefits, worried that adding more could cost support from moderate Republicans.

Several members of the Freedom Caucus and the moderate Tuesday Group, concerned about an estimate that 24 million people could lose insurance over the next decade, defied House leadership and the White House and opposed the bill, which was pulled on March 24.

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Now the Freedom Caucus and the Tuesday Group are separately meeting with the White House to try to create a path forward.

Paul told reporters before meeting with the caucus that he also met with Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., the leader of the Tuesday Group.

But what that path is remains to be seen, and Congress is expected to leave for a two-week recess on Friday.

Paul also floated a compromise on tax credits, another sticking point as conservatives favor a tax deduction rather than credits. He said that a new bill could leave tax credits in place, but with less funding.

Meanwhile, Trump was scheduled to meet with members of the Tuesday Group on Monday. Talks between the Tuesday Group and the Freedom Caucus broke down last week.

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Rand Paul meets with Freedom Caucus on Obamacare repeal - Washington Examiner