Rand Paul Moves for Obamacare Compromise 'to Make It Less Bad'

Sen. Rand Paul appeared to signal Monday that he may be open to a compromise on Obamacare that would make it "less bad," rather than pushing the government into a shutdown over conservative demands that the healthcare law be defunded.

On "Fox & Friends," the Kentucky Republican said, "Maybe we make it less bad through a compromise. If the Republicans in the House pass defund, Democrats in the Senate continue to fund — maybe there could be a compromise, where we got rid of some of the taxes, and get rid of some of the bad parts of Obamacare."



Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Defunded? Vote in Urgent National Poll

Efforts in Congress to reach middle ground would have to happen quickly, though, Paul indicated.

"You're going to have to have a very quick conference committee," he said. "Leadership, on the Republican side and Democrats that would have to come together and say, 'We're willing to compromise, and we have a conference committee.'"

At the same time, however, the senator continued to insist that while he is "absolutely opposed to a government shut down," he's not in favor of allowing "a penny" to go towards implementing the healthcare law and "won't vote to fund it at all."

"What I've said is defunding Obamacare is where we should start. That's what we're (conservative Republicans) for. That's what the people who voted for us are for," Paul said.
Still, he acknowledged that Republicans might not get "everything we want" and predicted a hard fight in Congress over the defunding issue.

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