Trump mentions McCain, remains confident Obamacare will be repealed
Sep 22, 2017, 6:13 PM | Updated: Mar 1, 2018, 3:49 pm
President Donald Trump walks to board Air Force One to travel to Huntsville, Ala., for a campaign rally for Senate candidate Luther Strange, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
PHOENIX — John McCain did it again.
The Republican United States Senator from Arizona said Friday he would not vote to repeal Obamacare because it was not the result of a bipartisan effort.
President Donald Trump didn’t seem too bothered by McCain’s latest comments when he addressed the crowd at a campaign rally in Huntsville, Alabama, Friday evening.
Trump said “it’s fine” and said “we’re going to do it eventually, we’re going to do it eventually,” when talking about repealing Obamacare.
McCain said earlier Friday that he would vote “no” again when it came to repealing and replacing Obamacare.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,” McCain said in a statement. “I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) released a statement Friday evening and said he disagreed with McCain’s decision.
“I’ve voted against Obamacare more than 30 times, and Graham-Cassidy is the best shot I’ve seen for a repeal and replace bill to get signed into law,” Flake said in a statement. “I have the utmost respect for Senator McCain but I disagree with him on this bill, which is supported by Governor Ducey. Graham-Cassidy will give Arizona the flexibility it needs to innovate and lower premiums while maintaining protections to ensure access to quality, affordable care for individuals with preexisting conditions.
“More than 150,000 Arizonans will wake up tomorrow without health insurance. They’ve paid a fine to the federal government because they can’t find affordable coverage, and have nothing to show for it. An even greater number have a policy but can’t afford to use it because deductibles and copays are too high. Arizonans are hurting; they’re counting on us to get repeal and replace across the finish line, and I won’t give up until the job is done.”
McCain said he objected to the Senate bill because it was not subject to debate, amendments and review by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
“I [could not] support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will affect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it,” he said. “Without a full CBO score, which won’t be available by the end of the month, we won’t have reliable answers to any of those questions.”
McCain compared the bill to Obamacare, saying it relied on party lines for passage and would not create a lasting solution.
“Our success could be as short-lived as theirs when the political winds shift, as they regularly do,” he said.
“The issue is too important, and too many lives are at risk, for us to leave the American people guessing from one election to the next whether and how they will acquire health insurance.”
Two months ago, McCain voted against a Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare.
