Sen. Rand Paul plans to support health-care vote, removing one possible headache for GOP

Sen. Rand Paul said Tuesday he will vote for a procedural motion in Republicans’ push to repeal Obamacare, after getting assurances that the Senate will move on a clean repeal bill if the motion passes.

The support from the Republican from Kentucky removes one possible hurdle for Republican leadership in what could prove to be a tight vote. It is set to take place later Tuesday.

Republicans can only lose two votes an still approve the procedural motion. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is a firm “no” on the motion.

Paul tweet: If this is indeed the plan, I will vote to proceed and I will vote for any all measures that are clean repeal.

Paul, a conservative who has opposed some iterations of the Republican Obamacare replacement plan, has backed a 2015 bill that repeals parts of the landmark health-care law. Congress approved that plan knowing that then-President Barack Obama vetoed it.

Paul: If we cannot pass full, clean 2015 repeal, I’ve also been told we will vote on whatever version of CLEAN repeal we can pass.

Several GOP senators have expressed concerns about what a so-called clean repeal would do to insurance markets.