Anti Federalist
09-22-2017, 01:45 PM
McCain Announces Opposition to Republican Health Bill, Likely Dooming It
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/politics/mccain-graham-cassidy-health-care.html
By THOMAS KAPLAN and ROBERT PEARSEPT. 22, 2017
WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain of Arizona announced on Friday that he would oppose the latest proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, leaving Republican leaders with little hope of succeeding in their last-ditch attempt to dismantle the health law.
Mr. McCain, who killed the previous repeal effort with his dramatic “no” vote in July, released a statement saying that he could not “in good conscience” support the latest proposal, by Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is Mr. McCain’s closest friend in the Senate.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” Mr. McCain said. “I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it.”
With two other Republican senators likely to vote no, Mr. McCain’s opposition to the bill could be fatal, as Senate Republicans could afford to lose no more members.
Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, said this week that he would not vote for the bill because it did not dismantle enough of the Affordable Care Act. And Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, has expressed broad concerns about the legislation, strongly suggesting that she, too, would vote against it, just as she voted “no” in July.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/politics/mccain-graham-cassidy-health-care.html
By THOMAS KAPLAN and ROBERT PEARSEPT. 22, 2017
WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain of Arizona announced on Friday that he would oppose the latest proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, leaving Republican leaders with little hope of succeeding in their last-ditch attempt to dismantle the health law.
Mr. McCain, who killed the previous repeal effort with his dramatic “no” vote in July, released a statement saying that he could not “in good conscience” support the latest proposal, by Senators Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is Mr. McCain’s closest friend in the Senate.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” Mr. McCain said. “I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it.”
With two other Republican senators likely to vote no, Mr. McCain’s opposition to the bill could be fatal, as Senate Republicans could afford to lose no more members.
Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, said this week that he would not vote for the bill because it did not dismantle enough of the Affordable Care Act. And Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, has expressed broad concerns about the legislation, strongly suggesting that she, too, would vote against it, just as she voted “no” in July.