GOP senators remain in shock over John McCain’s vote on ‘skinny’ repeal

PHOENIX — Arizona Sen. John McCain’s “no” vote early Friday to repeal parts of the Obama-era health care law caught many of his Republican colleagues by surprise but not to the point of open hostility.

“I love John McCain. He’s one of the great heroes of this country,” Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch told the Washington Post. “Whether we agree or not, I still love the guy.”

Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press” told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Friday that “at the end of the day, McCain chose the institution over doing any favor for his party.”

Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins also voted no, as did every Democrat. The bill went down, 51-49.

The GOP’s “skinny repeal” failed, McCain said in a statement after the vote, “because it fell short of our promise to repeal and replace Obamacare with meaningful reform.”

The thumbs-down ruffled the White House and the Republican Party, but neither specifically targeted McCain for criticism.

“I actually thought he was going to be a yes,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), told the Los Angeles Times. The physician added, “I was surprised.”

The Hill reported that Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) said, “(McCain) had made up his mind and I’m not sure there was much that could have been done about it.”

McCain, 80, returned to work earlier this week after surgery to remove a brain tumor.

During his address to Senate that day he pushed for the two sides to work together and denounced the behind-closed-doors meeting to create the bill.

“I think John is rightfully upset with the process and whatever he does, he’s earned the right to do it,” Sen. Lindsey Graham said of his friend to reporters before the vote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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