Rand Paul Tuesday took up President Donald Trump’s challenge to Republicans to include the repeal of the Obamacare individual-mandate in their tax overhaul legislation.
“Today I am announcing my intention to amend the Senate tax bill to repeal the individual mandate and provide bigger tax cuts for middle income taxpayers,” Senator Paul (R-Ketucky) tweeted. “The mandate repeal is a promise we all made and we should keep it also allows an additional $300 billion in tax cuts.”
Trump, who has not been involved with the day-to-day negotiations on tax reform underway in the House and Senate while on his lengthy trip to Asia, rejoined the political conversation Monday with a tweet.
“We’re getting close! Now, how about ending the unfair & highly unpopular Indiv Mandate in OCare & reducing taxes even further?” Trump wrote.
Repealing the mandate would raise $338 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The savings arise from lower spending on Medicaid and health-insurance subsidies. The CBO said that without the mandate, 13 million additional Americans would be uninsured in 2027.
Paul said he would use the bill to avoid tax increases from the loss of state and local deductions.
Paul’s amendment could help bring on further support among Republican lawmakers who have said that they do not support the end of the state and local deduction. But it would involve tax reform in the often messy politics of healthcare reform.