Rand Paul: ‘Obamacare Is Still with Us Because of Republicans’

Following the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, there was a conservative revolt against the Democrat-controlled White House and Congress. That fueled the Tea Party movement, and it led to a wave midterm election in 2010, which was also the election of Rand Paul to the U.S. Senate.

During an interview on Huntsville, AL radio’s WVNN, now-Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) discussed Obamacare and his frustration that a decade later, the law as it was passed remains on the books.

“I guess I’m still frustrated,” Paul said. “I thought that was what we believed in. You know, the Republicans promised us — ‘Give us the House. Oh, the House is not enough. Give us the Senate. Oh, that’s not enough. Give us the presidency, and we’ll repeal Obamacare.’ I mean, Republicans campaigned throughout the country — everybody up and down the slate everywhere campaigned on repeal.”

“And people ought to be hopping mad that the same people said they would vote for repeal, then changed their vote,” he continued. “I mean, Obamacare is still with us because of Republicans. The reason it is still with us is because, yes, we still need more Republicans who actually have the courage to stand up and vote against big government, whether it is in medicine, or whether it is big government spending, frankly during this pandemic.”

During the interview, Paul promoted the U.S. Senate candidacy of Nashville orthopedic trauma surgeon Manny Sethi, who faces Trump-endorsed former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty in the Tennesee Republican primary on August 6. He argued Sethi would be an ally of the cause to repeal Obamacare.

“We do need Republicans of principle, and I think Dr. Sethi is that. Whether or not we can repeal Obamacare, I’m still fighting for it.”

Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor