Rand Paul, Trump to meet Tuesday

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will meet with President Trump on Tuesday afternoon as GOP leadership aims to shore up the votes to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

A spokesman for the Kentucky Republican confirmed the White House meeting, which Paul also tweeted about. 

I’ll discuss w/ him how to fix bill & get more to a YES on real repeal, things I’ve tried to tell Senate leaders with no result so far

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 27, 2017

Paul has been a vocal critic of the Senate GOP’s healthcare bill. He told reporters on Monday night that he would vote against an initial procedural hurdle that could come as early as Tuesday.

{mosads}”On the current bill, I’m not voting to get on it unless it changes before we get to it,” he told reporters.

Asked if that meant he would vote “no” on the initial motion to proceed, Paul said, “absolutely,” adding that leadership doesn’t currently have the votes it needs.

Paul’s meeting comes as GOP leadership is stepping up its efforts to win over opposing senators.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) huddled in Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) office for roughly 45 minutes on Tuesday. Vice President Pence is also reportedly hosting a handful of conservative senators on Tuesday night. 

McConnell has a narrow window for passing their healthcare legislation, which he wants to move before the July 4 recess. 

With 52 GOP senators, he can only afford to lose two seats and still rely on Pence break a tie.

So far, four GOP senators — including Paul — have said they will vote to effectively block the Senate from taking up its legislation on a procedural motion. 

A spokesman for Sen. Mike Lee stopped short on Monday night of saying the Utah Republican would vote against proceeding, but stressed that changes needed to be made to win his vote. 

“There would have to be changes in the base bill for us to vote for a motion to proceed,” he said.

According to ABC News reporter Ali Rogin, Trump called Lee on Monday and he’ll dine with Pence on Tuesday night.

POTUS called Sen. Mike Lee yesterday to talk healthcare. Spox called it “positive call.” Lee will also dine with VP Pence tonight.

— Ali Rogin (@AliABCNews) June 27, 2017