Always The Maverick, McCain Kills Obamacare “Skinny Repeal”

The “skinny repeal” approach was designed to get rid of the individual and employer mandates in Obamacare, along with a tax on medical devices. It also would have denied funding to Planned Parenthood for a year.

Returning to Washington after undergoing surgery in Arizona for a blood clot and then learning he has an aggressive form of brain cancer, McCain’s arrival at the Capitol a few days ago raised hopes the GOP might finally be able to effectively change or even replace Obamacare.

McCain’s office released a statement explaining his vote:

From the beginning, I have believed that ObamaCare should be repealed and replaced with a solution that increases competition, lowers costs, and improves care for the American people. The so-called ‘skinny repeal’ amendment the Senate voted on today would not accomplish those goals.”

Earlier in the week, McCain had voted in favor of a procedural measure allowing debate to move forward on the health care legislation. That vote led some of his colleagues to believe he might come on board in support of “skinny repeal.”

But after the amendment failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his frustrations.

This is clearly a disappointing moment. From skyrocketing costs to plummeting choices and collapsing markets, our constituents have suffered through an awful lot under ObamaCare. We thought they deserved better. It’s why I, and many of my colleagues, did as we promised and voted to repeal this failed law. We told our constituents we would vote that way. When the moment came, most of us did. We kept our commitments.”

Once again, McCain finds himself in a position he clearly relishes: being the center of attention and a major thorn in the side of President Donald Trump.

At 2:25 a.m. President Trump took to Twitter with the following tweet:

3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!”

McConnell now says, “It’s time to move on,” while his Democrat counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says, “We are not celebrating, we are relieved.”

McCain’s negative vote prevented the Senate from moving legislation to a conference committee, where House and Senate leaders could have hammered out a compromise.

The Arizona senator further commented on what he’d like to see happen next:

We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of the aisle, heed the recommendations of the nation’s governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people.”

Democrats continue to talk out of both sides of their mouth on the issue, claiming they want to work on a compromise, but haven’t offered any ideas of their own on what that may entail.

McCain’s intention from this moment forward is obviously: “I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Donald Trump get credit for replacing Obamacare. By starting all over again in committees, with hearings, then getting input from both sides and states’ governors, we can gum this up so that Obamacare will remain in place as long as it possibly can.”

3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017

Source: Fox News, Fox News, John McCain