Details Of Rand Paul, Mark Sanford Obamacare Replacement Bill

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 2/15/2017, 4 p.m.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus officially endorsed an Obamacare replacement bill introduced by Republican Rep. Mark Sanford and Sen. Rand …
Randy Paul

(CNN) -- The conservative House Freedom Caucus officially endorsed an Obamacare replacement bill introduced by Republican Rep. Mark Sanford and Sen. Rand Paul on Wednesday, a move that puts considerable pressure on GOP party leaders to act quickly to overhaul the Affordable Care Act.

CNN first reported Tuesday night on the details of the Paul-Sanford bill based on a summary of the legislation: It would lift restrictions on insurers and give Americans more tax breaks for buying and using health care. Politically, the bill is intended to send a clear signal that there is no excuse for delaying a vote to roll back the health care law, as top Republicans have yet to unveil a blueprint for an alternative.

"The speculation on what a replacement will look like has created an unnecessary climate of anxiety in this discussion," House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows said at a press conference. "As members of Congress, we have a responsibility to reassure Americans -- particularly those with pre-existing conditions -- that they will be protected under a new system."

Sanford told CNN in an interview to preview the bill that it is simply not tenable for Republicans to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan.

"I tell my boys all the time: It's not good to enough to say what you're against. Tell me what you're for," Sanford said. "It's not enough for us as Republicans to say we are against Obamacare. I think everybody's got that. The real cause for anxiety is people who (are) concerned about what comes next."

Pointing to the pro-Obamacare protesters and constituents who have targeted Republican lawmakers' town halls in recent weeks, Sanford said the GOP has reached an "inflection point."

"Our simple message is we don't want to have 'Obamacare light.' That would be a mistake," the South Carolina congressman said. "We've all seen the crowds in different town hall meetings. We've all gotten the emails and phone calls, and there will be a real temptation to do that based on political forces and based on political fear."

Sanford and fellow members of the Freedom Caucus have grown increasingly vocal in requesting that GOP leaders move swiftly to repeal Obamacare.

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