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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcCain considers a new Obamacare repeal bill, and activists scramble to stop it
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/09/06/mccain-considers-a-new-obamacare-repeal-bill-and-activists-scramble-to-stop-it/?utm_term=.b51ff88fb1f6Update: After this and other stories ran about McCains statement, the senators office clarified that he did not want a hasty vote on the bill.
I am committed to working with Governor Doug Ducey to ensure the final outcome of health care reform benefits the people of Arizona. While I support the concept of the Graham-Cassidy proposal, I want to see the final legislation and understand its impact on the state of Arizona before taking a position. As I have said all along, any effort to replace Obamacare must be done through the regular order of committee hearings, open debate and amendments from both sides of the aisle.
Six weeks after he stopped his party from repealing much of the Affordable Care Act, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he could support a compromise that had been shelved months earlier one that the president has hinted he would sign.
On Wednesday, McCain told the Hill that he backed a proposal from Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) that would end the ACAs Medicaid expansion and insurance subsidies, and instead dole out money to states for whatever health insurance programs they favored. McCain, Grahams closest friend in the Senate, said that he would obviously support Grahams bill. After killing the GOPs last repeal attempt, saying that the Senate needed to return to regular order, McCain hinted that he could make an exception.
If its not through regular order, then its a mistake, McCain said. But it doesnt mean I wouldnt vote for it.
McCains support for the bill did not queue it up for a vote. While Graham and Cassidy began discussing the bill in July, there is no text right now meaning theres nothing for the Congressional Budget Office to score. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who joined McCain and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to stop the repeal-and-replace push, expressed concerns about the Graham-Cassidy plan.
I have reservations about it, but its still a work in progress so I havent made a decision, Collins said Wednesday afternoon.
But in a Wednesday interview on Fox News, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said that the president was ready with pen in hand to sign health-care reform if, say, Graham-Cassidy moves forward. That, plus McCains comments, kicked off a fresh panic from activists who had twice stopped the repeal push. They had worried that the Senate parliamentarians announcement that reconciliation instructions ran out Sept. 30 ending the GOPs ability to cram repeal with 51 votes would begin one last attempt at repeal. (The Senate is scheduled to be in session only 15 more days this month.)
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)A split personality disorder?
On some days he speaks in a senatorial voice. On most days he sticks with the herd of losers he calls his fellow republicons.
msongs
(67,498 posts)flamingdem
(39,337 posts)than Trump.
BigmanPigman
(51,658 posts)She said not to get all upset yet since she hadn't seen it in the NY Times or Wash Post. I sent her the article from the Hill. I will send this too. I am glad I never thanked him and I do not trust him. He's got his wife's fat bank account and his own govt paid health care (as if it would ever came to that) so what the fuck does he care about anyone else. I AM angry with myself since I read that Collins supports this and I DID thank her. McCain is a complete GOP asshole through and through. His actions prove it.
I read my own notes from July 25 and 26 and The Graham Cassidy Amend would have come up for a vote after the "Skinny Bill" which was voted down. I guess we are back at square one. I am not surprised one bit. I said the fake prez would win for over 18 months and I have had a feeling that the GOP would pull some more shit with the ACA before the calender ran out.
flamingdem
(39,337 posts)that was back in January.
This has me thinking it's just a fake move for some motive.
McCain kind of indicates that there isn't a lot of time to deal with it.
Doesn't have a CBO score yet for example.
We need the time to run out..