Friday, September 22, 2017

McCain: "I Cannot in Good Conscience Vote for Graham-Cassidy"

Posted By on Fri, Sep 22, 2017 at 11:27 AM

Sen. John McCain, who torpedoed the last GOP healthcare bill in a surprise vote in July, says he’ll vote against the Graham-Cassidy healthcare legislation that GOP lawmakers are rushing to a vote by the end of the month.

McCain announced his opposition in a statement on his Twitter feed:

As I have repeatedly stressed, health care reform legislation ought to be the product of regular order in the Senate. Committees of jurisdictions 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 concensus 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 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 … 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.

McCain's decision makes the passage of Graham-Cassidy much more difficult for GOP leaders, who are struggling to find 50 votes in their caucus in the face of unified Democratic opposition. They can only afford to lose three votes in order to get the bill across the finish line.