McCain’s ‘no’ may kill GOP bill
With GOP leaders’ current hopes of repealing Obamacare dangling by a thread after Sen. John McCain made his opposition public Friday, will lawmakers now turn to the course advocated by McCain, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Gov. John Kasich: forging a bipartisan compromise?
McCain’s decision likely dealt a death blow to the latest Republican repeal attempt, a measure sponsored by two of his Republican colleagues: Lindsey Graham of South
Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. With only three GOP “no” votes enough to kill the bill, McCain joins Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul in outright opposition. A third Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said Friday she is “leaning against the bill,” the Portland Press Herald reported.
Ohio GOP Sen. Rob Portman remains undecided.
McCain, who is being treated for brain cancer, said he could not “in good conscience” back the measure co- sponsored by his close friend, Graham. Instead, the Arizona senator praised the work of colleagues working on a solution involving both parties.
“I hope they will resume their work should this last attempt at a partisan solution ( Graham- Cassidy) fail,” McCain said in his statement. “We should not be content to pass health care legislation on a party- line basis, as Democrats did when they rammed Obamacare through Congress in 2009.”
After hearing the news, Democrat Brown said, “I hope that means we’re done with ( attempts to repeal Obamacare) and can move on and figure out how we can fix the Affordable Care Act.”
Yet the White House continued to strongly push Graham-Cassidy. During a speech in his home state of Indiana, Vice President Mike Pence said, “President Trump and I firmly believe the Graham-Cassidy bill is the right bill at the right time to repeal and replace Obamacare.”
However, he added, “This is not going to be easy. Even now, the opposition is forming up and some have gone so far as to announce their opposition already. But President Trump and I are undeterred.”
Until Republican leadership decided to pursue Graham-Cassidy, a bipartisan plan was in the works through a committee headed by GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington.
Brown said Senate Democrats were ready to support the bipartisan measure, and “I think it would have been overwhelming.”
While no bill has been produced, Brown said senators are familiar with the main elements of the proposal.
“It was very realistic. We all thought it was happening,” Brown said. “I was advocating for a lot of that.”
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and several of his colleagues from both parties also are pushing for a compromise they say would stabilize insurance markets and continue necessary subsidies until a more-permanent Obamacare fix can be achieved.
He tweeted Friday afternoon after McCain’s announcement, “I’m proud of you, John. It’s time for the resumption of the bipartisan Alexander/Murray plan, and I’m ready to help however I can.”
In a statement, Murray said she is “still at the table ready to keep working, and I remain confident that we can reach a bipartisan agreement as soon as this latest partisan approach by Republican leaders is finally set aside.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said, “John McCain shows the same courage in Congress that he showed when he was a naval aviator. I have assured Sen. McCain that as soon as repeal is off the table, we Democrats are intent on resuming the bipartisan process.”
In a town hall Friday, Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst — a supporter of Graham-Cassidy — called for bipartisan talks, The Washington Post reported. “I hope that Lamar and Patty can come back again together, hopefully next week,” she said.
When she got a question on Graham-Cassidy, Ernst responded, “I’ll be honest, it
“We should not be content to pass health care legislation on a partyline basis, as Democrats did when they rammed Obamacare through Congress in 2009.”
— Sen. John McCain
seems unlikely that we’ll be voting on this.” Those at the Iowa City event burst into applause, the Post said.
However, even if the Senate would pass a bipartisan Obamacare measure, it’s an open question whether the House would follow suit.
McCain indicated in his statement that he wrestled with what to do, but in the end had too many misgivings. “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.”
During a short speech at Netcare’s office in Franklinton, which works with those having substance and mental health issues, Brown said the Graham-Cassidy attempt to remove millions from health insurance while politicians kept their policies is “just morally despicable.”