Rand Paul predicts health care vote by Aug. 1

Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that there will be a vote on health care by Aug. 1.

“Something can be done by Aug. 1. There will be a vote. I actually predict that we will get to a majority, and I would like to be part of that, but only if the bill repeals Obamacare. I won’t vote for it if it keeps Obamacare,” Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on Fox News.

He said that Republicans are promising too much in claiming that they will fix the health care system, arguing that health care was broken long before Obamacare.

“I think what we need is to pare back. We’re trying to do too much. Everybody is saying, ’We’re going to fix health care.’ Well, guess what? Health care was broken before Obamacare. It got worse with Obamacare. There are so many problems with health care,” the senator said.

“These weak-kneed Republicans up here who are saying, ’Oh, we got to spend more money and we got to keep Medicaid forever, the expansion,’ they need to get over themselves,” he said.

But Mr. Paul did say President Trump has been a huge asset in the debate, and is working with Congress more than former President Barack Obama did.

“I say if you compare President Trump to President Obama, President Trump has been much more engaged with Congress and has gotten more done as far as being up here. Vice President [Mike] Pence is up here almost every week, a couple times a week,” he said. “I think this president actually has a great deal of political savvy.”