Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulGOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Trump seeks to flip 'Rage' narrative; Dems block COVID-19 bill Overnight Health Care: Senate Democrats block GOP relief bill | Democrats reveal Medicaid chief's spending on high-paid consultants | Trump calls question about why he 'lied' about COVID-19 a 'disgrace' MORE (R-Ky.) is pushing an alternative ObamaCare repeal bill amid growing opposition to the House GOP leadership's plan.

Paul introduced a bill — known as the ObamaCare repeal bill — mirrored off a 2015 bill that cleared the Senate along party lines.

“The Republican Party is unified on Obamacare repeal,” Paul said in a statement. “We can honor our promise right away by passing the same language we acted on in the last Congress."

Paul's proposal would effectively separate repeal of ObamaCare from replacement. The move could alienate a group of centrist Republicans who want, at a minimum, the key details of replacement nailed down before they vote to repeal.

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But Paul argued that Republicans are "unified" on wanting to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and senators could debate a replacement plan later.

"[After repeal] we can have a separate vote on replacement legislation that will deliver lower costs, better care, and greater access to the American people," he said.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has introduced the legislation in the House.

The bill includes a staggered repeal of ObamaCare taxes, including a repeal of the Medical Device Tax in 2018 and the Cadillac Tax in 2020.

The legislation would also eliminate eligibility for ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion as of 2020 as well as the higher federal matching rate included in the Affordable Care Act.

The move would likely draw opposition from a group of moderate Senate Republicans who have threatened they would vote against any bill that doesn't protect the Medicaid funding expansion in their home states.

Paul's bill comes as a growing number of GOP senators are raising concerns over a House proposal to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

1. House health-care bill can't pass Senate w/o major changes. To my friends in House: pause, start over. Get it right, don't get it fast. — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) March 9, 2017 GOP senators say they believe the House bill will need significant changes before it can pass the Senate. GOP senators say they believe the House bill will need significant changes before it can pass the Senate.

"I support making structural improvements to the Medicaid program, but we must provide stability and certainty for individuals and families in Medicaid expansion programs and real flexibility for states," he said.



Republicans have a narrow path to passing ObamaCare repeal. They have a 52-seat majority, meaning they can only afford to lose two GOP senators and still pass repeal.