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Less than an hour after House Speaker Paul Ryan committed to changes to "improve" a bill to repeal and partially replace Obamacare, Rand Paul called for a "pause" to the ongoing effort.

The Kentucky senator and members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday reiterated their call to fully repeal Obamacare instead of passing what they deemed a partial repeal that keeps some of the law's taxes in place. The meeting late Wednesday comes less than an hour after House Speaker Paul Ryan admitted to "improve" and "refine" the American Health Care Act.

"I don't think there will be meaningful negotiations unless it becomes apparent that the House bill cannot pass," Paul said outside of a House office late Monday. "That is what I am hoping will happens because I do not think the House bill lowers premiums for anybody."

Paul added that now "I think we need to take a pause and as I think as [GOP leadership] count the votes they will have to decide whether they are going to negotiate."

Ryan and Paul have clashed over the past few weeks over the bill, which Paul claims doesn't fully repeal Obamacare and creates a new entitlement by offering up tax credits.

Freedom Caucus chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said currently, the House doesn't have the votes to "modify" the current bill.

He later clarified that he is open to negotiations on the bill and that "we will negotiate in good faith."

Meadows added that based on a preliminary whip count of the House Freedom Caucus, the current version of the bill doesn't have the votes to pass the House.

Meadows declined to give a full number of how many people in the caucus would oppose the bill. The caucus is rumored to have between 35-40 members.

Also from the Washington Examiner

"The policy of strategic patience has ended," Tillerson said. "All options are on the table."

03/17/17 7:57 AM

The tacit admission from Ryan to improve the plan comes on the same day that Vice President Pence met with members of the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 100 Republican lawmakers.

Pence didn't commit to any changes to the bill, including a desire to roll back the end of the Medicaid expansion to 2018 instead of 2020, but members walked away from the meeting confident their concerns were heard.

Currently, the bill goes before the House Budget Committee on Thursday. From there it will head to the House Rules Committee sometime next week and then move forward to a House floor vote.

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Rand Paul calls for 'pause' to overhaul Obamacare repeal bill - Washington Examiner