Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul boasted on Twitter late Friday that President-elect Donald Trump "fully" supports his plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it in the same day.
"I just spoke to @realDonaldTrump and he fully supports my plan to replace Obamacare the same day we repeal it," Paul tweeted. "The time to act is now."
Paul's announcement is extremely welcoming for a number of Republican senators who were becoming increasingly worried that the Republican-controlled Congress would attempt to repeal Obamacare without replacing it with a suitable solution in an appropriate timeframe.
Paul alleged in an op-ed earlier this week that if Republicans repeal Obamacare without simultaneously replacing it, they too will assume responsibility for the law's failure.
"If Congress fails to vote on a replacement at the same time as repeal, the repealers risk assuming the blame for the continued unraveling of Obamacare. For mark my words, Obamacare will continue to unravel and wreak havoc for years to come," Paul wrote.
And according to Politico, Paul warned on MSNBC "Morning Joe" on Wednesday that if Congress repeals Obamacare without replacing it, then insurance companies could go bankrupt and require a bailout from Congress.
Fellow Sens. Tom Cottom (Ark.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) have also said they want Obamacare to be repealed and replaced simultaneously.
Repealing Obamacare is a top priority for Trump and congressional Republicans. Vice President-elect Mike Pence has said that he wants a legitimate repeal and replace plan from congressional Republicans on Trump's desk by Feb. 20.
