McCain surgery forces GOP to defer health-care measure

WASHINGTON— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he’s deferring consideration of the Republican health-care measure because Sen. John McCain said Saturday he would be staying in Arizona following surgery for a blood clot.

The Senate leader had planned action on the controversial bill next week. But McCain’s decision to have surgery put the measure in jeopardy in the closely divided Senate.

Mayo Clinic Hospital doctors said Saturday that McCain, 80, underwent a “minimally invasive” procedure to remove the clot, and that the surgery went “very well.”

Two of the 52 GOP senators have already said they will oppose the legislation. McConnell cannot lose any others for the legislation to survive a showdown vote that was expected next week.

Moderates worry it will cause people with serious illnesses to lose coverage, and some conservatives say it doesn’t go far enough.