McCain may have just killed Republicans’ last chance to repeal Obamacare

By Robert Donachie, DCNF

Sen. John McCain of Arizona announced Friday afternoon that he will vote against his Republican colleagues’ last-ditch effort to repeal and replace Obamacare.

“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,” he said in a statement Friday.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, July 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, along with Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada and Ron Johnson Wisconsin, put forth a bill that would repeal major portions of Obamacare and replace the system’s funding mechanism with block grants in an attempt, according to the senators, to promote state innovation in the implementation of health care.

McCain was, along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, serving as one the key holdouts.

Republicans need 50 “yes” votes to pass the bill under the Senate’s budget reconciliation, and they currently have roughly 48 senators behind the bill, according to Cassidy.

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