The American Health Care Act has 95 percent of the agreement it needs in the House, Rep. Kevin Brady said Thursday, and he is optimistic that at the end of the day there will be enough votes to pass the legislation and deliver it to the Senate.
"This bill is far more conservative than Sen. Rand Paul's bill," Brady told Fox News' "America's Newsroom," while responding to complaints from the Kentucky senator that more tweaks are needed before conservatives will approve the legislation.
"I read it. It's a budget buster and has open-ended entitlements and depends on Democrats in the Senate to support them. I don't think it's realistic."
The House bill, said Brady, focuses on state control and restoring the free market when it comes to healthcare, and proponents view it as being a bold reform measure.
The bill's skeptics say the bill does not go far enough toward repealing Obamacare, and even if it passes the House, it still may not pass the Senate. However, Brady urged Republicans to not "go wobbly now."
"We've been fighting this for seven years," said Brady. "Some have been willing to shut the government down over it and now's the chance to deliver. These are the Senate rules. They have full control and the House will deliver this in a major conservative way through the Senate. It will be time for them to stop talking and start delivering."
The bill also goes a long way to making sure states will have the full control they need to approve plans right for their states, and that's what families and small businesses need, said Brady.
"I'd like to see us go further in this regard, because I believe state control of healthcare is not here," said Brady. "Look, it has some challenges on both sides of it. I'd love to see it go further. Let's do all we can the Senate allows and then again, our Senate colleagues will have to deliver as well."