Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), released a statement on Friday expressing his opposition to the Graham-Cassidy bill that Senate leadership was hoping to vote on next week. McCain, who in July cast a fateful vote against the GOP’s earlier effort to repeal-and-replace the Affordable Care Act, wrote that he could not, “in good conscience,” vote for the bill and called again for regular order and bipartisan fixes to the ACA’s flaws.
“I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried,” McCain wrote. “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.”
McCain’s opposition seemingly sinks the Graham-Cassidy bill, which was viewed as the GOP’s last chance to repeal the ACA before the September 30th deadline. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has expressed firm opposition and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) is also widely expected to vote against the legislation. In recent days, a wide array of groups, including the National Association of Medicaid Directors, has come out against the legislation.
