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Posted on 09/22/2017 11:02:27 AM PDT by Red Badger
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Friday said he "cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham Cassidy proposal.
McCain is one of four Republican senators who are undecided on the GOP healthcare overhaul, and his opposition dealt the bill's chances a significant blow.
Read his full statement below:
"As I have repeatedly stressed, health care reform legislation ought to be the product of regular order in the Senate. Committees of jurisdiction should mark up legislation with input from all committee members, and send their bill to the floor for debate and amendment. That is the only way we might achieve bipartisan consensus on lasting reform, without which a policy that affects one-fifth of our economy and every single American family will be subject to reversal with every change of administration and congressional majority.
"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. Instead, the specter of September 30th budget reconciliation deadline has hung over this entire process.
"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. If we do so, our success could be as short-lived as theirs when the political winds shift, as they regularly do. The issue is too important, and too many lives are at risk, for us to leave the American people guessing from one election to the next whether and how they will acquire health insurance. A bill of this impact requires a bipartisan approach.
"Senators Alexander and Murray have been negotiating in good faith to fix some of the problems with Obamacare. But I fear that the prospect of one last attempt at a strictly Republican bill has left the impression that their efforts cannot succeed. I hope they will resume their work should this last attempt at a partisan solution fail.
"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. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will effect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it. Without a full CBO score, which won't be available by the end of the month, we won't have reliable answers to any of those questions.
"I take no pleasure in announcing my opposition. Far from it. The bill's authors are my dear friends, and I think the world of them. I know they are acting consistently with their beliefs and sense of what is best for the country. So am I.
"I hope that in the months ahead, we can join with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to arrive at a compromise solution that is acceptable to most of us, and serves the interests of Americans as best we can."
This story is developing. Please check back for further updates.
McCain, Collins, TRAITORS;
McConnell Needs To Sack Them From Committee Chairs or RESIGN!
Enough of this!
In what way does this SOB represent Arizona?
McCain is a miserable excuse for a human being.
But the original 0bamacare was not passed with regular order.
Does he not see that?
WOW not even Loverboy’s bill could convince Juan to support it..boy are they gonna have a spat tonight
Rand Paul and John McCain. They HATE their constituents.
Thanks
Raise your hand if this in any way surprises you. McCain should go ahead and announce his love of Obamacare.
Mister McCain will not be remembered in a kind light (NYT and WaPo, notwithstanding).
He does have a point that this should be clearly written, debated, and approved in public. The repeal is simple. Just repeal it and get that done. Then the replace, lets get a real proposal written, lets discuss it, stop the middle of the night rushes, secret discussions, no reviews, etc.
For this reason alone, I’m surprised Trump did not come out as “strongly opposed!” to this repeal plan. That way John Mc. would have immediately and vociferously come out in SUPPORT of the same plan. That is a measure of just how petty McCain has become toward anything related to the president.
McCain needs to be stripped of all party responsibilities and perks IMMEDIATELY.
He is a Democrat plant and actively works against the party and supports the DNC.
But yet he would gladly go to war without a vote or even discussion. And often recommends bombing or using the military without a discussion.
How about agreement with McCain and all of the past repeal Yes voters, vote yes on a Repeal only bill that calls for Obamacare to end in 2018, calling on Congress to draft, debate, and approve replacement sometime next year? I think that is a fair trade off, get repeal done, give McCain and everyone commitment and opportunity to discuss the replacement.
LOL!......Whips and spiked heels come to mind................
So its Rand Paul, Susan Collins, John McCain plus 48 liberals/Democrats who will doom Graham-Cassidy?
John McCain is the worst kind of human scum alive...but, Mitch McConnell is even worse!!! Anyone that lives and votes in Alabama and casts their vote for Luther Strange, McConnell’s lap dog, butt kisser over Judge Roy Moore, in the next Tuesday Senate runoff, is either stoned high on reefer or simply totally insane!!!
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