McCain says he will oppose health law repeal

Senator’s decision leaves latest effort to scrap ‘Obamacare’ near failure

WASHINGTON - Arizona Sen. John McCain said Friday he will not support a last-gasp Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, making him the second GOP lawmaker to do so, casting significant doubt on the effort to ditch the program known as “Obamacare.”

With Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., saying he is opposed to the bill and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, saying she is “leaning no,” it appears Republicans do not have the 50 votes needed to pass repeal. Republicans can lose no more than two votes to pass a bill.

“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal. I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried,” McCain said in a statement. “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.”

To make a Sept. 30 deadline, Republican senators intended to bring the bill offered by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., to the floor without the usual full analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Republicans, who have just a 52-48 majority, are using a special budgetary

procedure that allows them to pass legislation with a simple majority — and the vote of the vice president in the event of a tie — rather than the usual 60 votes. But that maneuver will expire at the end of the month.

The Graham-Cassidy legislation would get rid of the mandate that individuals have to buy insurance as well as the penalty for large employers that don’t offer reasonably priced insurance to their employees. But for the most part, the “Obamacare” taxes would stay in place and be redistributed to states in the form of block grants.

The bill would also end the Medicaid expansion that 31 states and Washington, D.C., took advantage of under “Obamacare” and overhaul the funding for traditional Medicaid.

“I would consider supporting legislation similar to that offered by my friends Senators Graham and Cassidy were it the product of extensive hearings, debate and amendment. But that has not been the case,” McCain said.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York applauded McCain’s decision. “John McCain shows the same courage in Congress that he showed when he was a naval aviator. I have assured Senator McCain that as soon as repeal is off the table, we Democrats are intent on resuming the bipartisan process.”

Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., had been leading an effort to draft a bipartisan bill to shore up “Obamacare” insurance markets; Alexander pulled the plug on that effort Tuesday to clear the way for the GrahamCassidy bill. Murray, the top Democrat on the committee, said Friday she was ready to get back to bipartisan negotiations.

McCain was the deciding vote in July, his “no” vote scuttling a narrow repeal bill that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had offered. McCain’s chief complaint has been that the Republican-led effort to repeal “Obamacare” did not go through the normal hearings, debate and amendment process that the Senate calls for.

While there is one hearing scheduled next week in the Senate Finance Committee to discuss Graham-Cassidy, as of midday Friday there were no witnesses listed on the committee website.

“My friendship with @SenJohnMcCain is not based on how he votes but respect for how he’s lived his life and the person he is,” Graham said Friday. McCain and Graham are known as some of the closest lawmakers in the Senate. “I respectfully disagree with his position not to proceed forward.”

Graham said he’s “completely convinced” that giving money back to the states is the correct way to address health care and vowed to “press on.”

Despite public pressure from President Donald Trump, Paul has vigorously opposed the Graham-Cassidy bill because he feels it does not do enough to repeal “Obamacare.”

Earlier this week, Collins told ABC News she was “leaning no” on the health care bill.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined McCain and Collins in voting against the last repeal attempt in July. She has not indicated how she plans to vote.