Sen. John McCain on Friday announced his opposition to Sens. Bill Cassidy and Lindsey Graham’s health care bill to repeal Obamacare. That makes three Senators from the Republican Party who are either confirmed or likely “no” votes on the Graham Cassidy bill, likely dooming the GOP’s latest effort to repeal Obamacare. It would require 50 votes (plus a tie-breaker from Vice President Mike Pence) to pass.
McCain once again cited a lack of regular order as his rationale for opposing the Graham-Cassidy bill.” We should not be content to pass health care legislation on a party line basis,” McCain said in a statement posted on Twitter. “I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal.”
McCain first used this line of thinking when he, along with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), defied Republican leadership and voted “no” to sink the “skinny” repeal of Obamacare back in June.
I cannot in good conscience vote for Graham-Cassidy. A bill impacting so many lives deserves a bipartisan approach. Https://t.co/2sDjhw6Erapic.twitter.com/30OWezQpLg
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) September 22, 2017
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky had already announced his opposition to the Graham Cassidy bill because he didn’t consider it a true, full repeal of Obamacare. And on Friday, Collins said she was “leaning” no on the legislation over fears that it wouldn’t protect people with pre-existing conditions.
Republicans face a Sept. 30 deadline to pass a health care bill on a party-line vote.