Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., seems to have a new take on healthcare reform a day after a round of golf with President Donald Trump, The Hill reported.
Paul suggested starting over after legislation pieced together by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., did not even get to the floor for a vote because it failed to win enough Republican support.
The Republican from Kentucky also said, for now, keeping the Obamacare subsidies in place, while reducing their amount would likely appease moderates and conservatives.
"A compromise could be keeping some of those underlying things in Obamacare . . . in order to placate people who want that," Paul told reporters Monday.
The GOP bill proposed rolling back Medicaid and offering age-based tax credits for people to buy health insurance, credits that start at $2,000 for individuals under age 30 and would rise to $4,000 for those over 60. The credits are less generous than the subsidies currently offered under Obamacare, created for people with low or moderate incomes who buy health plans.
Paul's compromise would make it so conservatives are not "voting to create something they disagree with," he said.
Paul's conversation with Trump was "very productive," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday.
"The president made it clear that he wants to work with anyone that wants to help," Spicer said.
"I know the vice president has been actively engaged and other members of the House in particular. They're going to find a way forward. . . . The president continues to work hard. He's having the conversations. Members have reached out to him to make their suggestions known."