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Senator Rand Paul was one of the most vocal Republicans expressing concerns about the House GOPs healthcare alternative even before it was released this week. As far as hes concerned, the replacement plan is Obamacare Lite and dead on arrival in the Senate.

Last night, President Trump got wind of Pauls comments and tweeted the following:

Paul said on MSNBCs Morning Joe today that the White House is going on a charm offensive to try and win over skeptical conservatives, but he specifically responded to the presidents tweet in an interview with Politico:

I dont feel isolated by this. I actually feel emboldened, Paul, who clashed at times with Trump during the Republican presidential primary last year, said of his reaction to the presidents attention.

Paul read Trumps tweet as a signal that the White House is open to negotiation and that they realize that we have the numbers to stop the Obamacare-lite bill They are concerned because every conservative I know has been called to the White House to talk about Obamacare.

Paul is one of a growing number of Republicans voicing concerns that the American Health Care Act is not an adequate replacement to Obamacare.

Speaker Paul Ryan

[image via Christopher Halloran/Shutterstock]

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Rand Paul Responds to Trump Singling Him Out on Health Care: 'I Feel Emboldened' - Mediaite

Republican Sen. Rand Paul stuck to his opposition to the House GOP plan on replacing Obamacare despite prodding from President Donald Trump, telling MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that "I don't think they have the numbers to pass this at this point."

After Paul voiced his opposition to the plan on Tuesday, Trump sent out a tweet encouraging him to get on board with the House Republican proposal.

But Paul did not appear to be buckling under what he called the president's "charm offensive," saying that "I think the White House, the administration, and the president understand 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."

Paul appeared confident that "if conservatives stick together, we will have a force and a negotiation, and we will talk about clean repeal versus replacement."

The senator reiterated that because Republicans are in agreement on repeal but not replacement, "that's why we should vote on them separately."

Paul said in an interview with Politico that is the message he reiterated to Trump when he spoke with him on the hone about the plan.

Although Republican leaders have privately been upset at Paul's attempt to split the party on the issue, the senator said about the attention he's received from the president that "I don't feel isolated by this. I actually feel emboldened."

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Sen. Rand Paul Refuses to Buckle to WH 'Charm Offensive' - Newsmax

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Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer is not impressed by the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady and House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Greg Walden released the health care plan favored by congressional Republicans Monday evening, called the American Health Care Act.

The legislation is catching flack from some GOP lawmakers and conservative think-tanks that are publicly condemning the effort as lackluster, weak and largely a repackaging of Obamacare. Leading the charge is Sen. Rand Paul, who called the Republican platform Obamacare Lite. (RELATED: Tom Price: House Repeal Effort Is A Work In Progress)

Rand Paul is right. This is, in a sense, ObamaCare lite, Krauthammer said Tuesday on Special Report with Bret Baier. The commentator thinks Republican leadership is deluding itself if it legitimately thinks this is an alternative to Obamacare. Im willing to admit the platform is Obamacare lite, but Ryan and the others arent, Krauthammer said.

He doubled-down on his comments from Monday evening regarding Obamacare entitlement programs. If the Trump administration were to do away with the Obamacare entitlement(s), it would ultimately destroy the presidency, Krauthammer said. (RELATED: Krauthammer: The End Of Obamacare Is The End Of Trump)

Republicans arent suicidal, and they presumably want to live to govern another day, Krauthammer said Tuesday. You cannot retract an entitlement once it has been granted. That is the genius of the left. There is no country in the West that has developed national health insurance and then revoked it despite all the problems.

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Krauthammer: Rand Paul Is Right, 'This IsObamacare Lite' [VIDEO] - Daily Caller

After House Republicans on Monday evening unveiled legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was quick to predict on Tuesday morning that the bill would not pass in its current form

"This is Obamacare lite. It will not pass. Conservatives aren't going to take it," Paul told "Fox and Friends."

He said that the draft legislation revealed on Monday will not address issues with health insurance in the United States.

"It won't work. Premiums and prices will continue to spiral out of control," Paul said. "We have completely broken the insurance marketplace. Obamacare lite doesn't fix it. It is a real mistake to go for this."

Paul listed a few issues he sees in the bill.

"This plan keeps the Obamacare taxes for another year, keeps the cadillac tax forever. It keeps an individual mandate," he said.

He also took issue with a provision that would allow insurance companies to charge consumers a 30 percent surcharge if they have a gap in health insurance coverage.

"If you drop your insurance and then want to buy it again there is a penalty. Under Obamacare you had to pay the government the penalty. Under Obamacare lite, the House leadership plan, you will pay the penalty to the insurance company. This is all likelihood unconstitutional," Paul told "Fox and Friends." "It is the individual mandate but you pay your penalty not to the government, to a private insurance company. So much of their bill is bailout for the insurance companies."

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Rand Paul: New House Obamacare Replacement Plan 'Will Not Pass' - TPM

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By Kody Fairfield

Late Tuesday, PresidentDonald Trump tweeted out an ominous message regarding SenatorRand Paulssupport for theAmerican Health Care Act, even though Paul has been one of the harshest, if not the harshest critic of the House GOP health care bill.

Following its release to the public, President Trump wasted no time glorifying theAmerican Health Care Act, while at the same time, many within his own party have proclaimed their concerns with the bill.

Were going to do something thats great. And I am proud to support the replacement plan released by the House of Representatives, Trump said during a meeting with the House deputy whip team.

It follows the guidelines I laid out in my congressional address. This will be a plan where you can choose your doctor and this will be a plan where you can choose your plan. And you know what the plan is. This is the plan.

The loudest critic of the bill however, has been Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) who made sure to continue his crusadeagainst what he has called Obamacare-lite on Tuesday, tellingFox and Friends that the House-proposed bill would not pass the Senate. Hours later, he thenlead the House Freedom Caucus in a press conference where a tag-team of staunch fiscal conservatives took turns lamenting the House leaderships end product. In fact, the conservatives concluded their beating of the American Health Care Act with Rep.Jim Jordan (R-OH) explaining that he would be reentering Sen. Paul and Rep. Mark Sanfordsversion of health care reforminto the House to compete with the one backed by leadership and the President.

So tomorrow I will introduce a bill that every single Republican voted on just 15 months ago the bill that actually repeals Obamacare, Jordan said at the press conference. Our plan has always been repeal in one piece of legislation and replace in the other. And that replacement we talked about a few weeks ago is the bill sponsored by Dr. Paul in the Senate and Mark Sanford in the House.

With lines clearly drawn in the sand between the opposing sides, the President and GOP House leadership Vs. House Freedom Caucus and Senators Paul, Mike Lee of Utah, and Conservatives, it strange to see President Trumps assurity that Sen. Paul would be coming along with the new and great health care program.

Is it wishful thinking on the Presidents part to hope that one of the most consistent Conservative voices in Congress would suddenly change his views after campaigning so vehemently against Obamacare-lite? or Does Trump have something in the bag to play against Sen. Paul?

Many questions are left to be answered, but what is easy to discern is that there is an internal struggle for principlesbuilding inside the walls of Castle GOP.

Meanwhile, the American populace can only hope that they are delivered real health care reform.

jim jordanObamacareObamacare-litepresident donald trumpSen. Rand Paul

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Trump Tweets: He's Sure Rand Paul Will Come Along With Obamacare-Lite - The Libertarian Republic