McCain essentially kills Graham-Cassidy bill

Put a fork in it.

With John McCain’s “no” vote along with Rand Paul’s and Susan Collins’s, the chances of passing Graham-Cassidy are all but nil. They’d need to get every other Republican (and a few are still on the fence) plus a Democrat. Joe Manchin was the most likely candidate but has already expressed his disinterest in it. Unofficially, the GOP will finish their first year with control of the necessary branches of government without making a dent in Obamacare.

While I’ve been opposed to Graham-Cassidy, it’s bittersweet that the nail in the coffin comes from McCain. His reasons for saying “no” are ludicrous. He’s a Democrat now and wants to work with his fellow Democrats to pass an Obamacare bailout. Claiming that it needs to be done through “regular order” is just his way of saying he won’t support a Republican plan.

Perspectives

BREAKING: McCain A “No” Vote On Graham-Cassidy

McCain’s statement calls “regular order,” meaning he wants to see the bill put through committee and debated on the floor, as well as a bipartisan effort to come to a decision. According to the release, McCain believes that major legislation like this should not be passed on a party-line basis.

BREAKING: John McCain pulls support for Graham-Cassidy bill – The Right Scoop

Apparently McCain can’t vote for the bill without a CBO score and more of a bipartisan effort. Good grief, what about the merits of the bill itself???

John McCain will not vote for Obamacare overhaul, imperiling passage

The bill’s sponsors, Republican leadership, and the White House have been pressing hard to win the 50 votes needed. But with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky repeatedly saying he would vote against it and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine saying Friday she was leaning against it, McCain’s no vote would kill the bill.

John McCain opposes last-ditch Obamacare repeal – Washington Times

Bill sponsors had exuded confidence in recent days, saying they were getting closer by the day to pinning down needed support, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he planned to bring the bill to the floor.

McCain May Have Killed Chance To Repeal | The Daily Caller

There are three other Republican senators who have yet to declare their support for the bill. Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Cory Gardner of Colorado.

Reactions

McCain will vote no on Graham-Cassidy Obamacare repeal bill

Final Thoughts

I was hoping it would be Rand Paul who put this bill down for conservative reasons. That would have sparked a look at why the bill fell short of the expectations of voters. Instead, McCain delivering the deathblow means the focus will be on bailing out Obamacare as the only way Republicans can get anything passed on healthcare.