Trump mentions McCain, remains confident Obamacare will be repealed
President Donald Trump didn't seem too bothered by McCain's latest comments when he addressed the crowd at a campaign rally in Alabama Friday evening.
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.
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Comments
3 Comments
McCain correctly points out that w/o a bipartisan effort, we will be back to the drawing board every 4 years. However, we all know that isn't going to happen in the short term. As long as Republicans want to prop up insurance companies as the middle men that rake billions of dollars away from our health care dollars, we will continue to muddle about while the country suffers. There is no plan that includes insurance companies that will eventually lower rates and increase coverages. We pay double and triple per capita what every civilized country in the world pays - and we get less coverage - because insurance companies are greedy. CEO's from insurance companies are some of the highest paid people in the world. How does that help us?
We should fix what ails the ACA in a bipartisan effort for the short term, and then long term start to consider how we can eliminate the health insurance companies that are robbing us blind. And equally important, we need to place cost restrictions on operations and pharmaceuticals in this country. We pay from 10X's to 100X's what other countries pay for drugs and surgery. Disgraceful in the richest and most powerful country in the world.
Like so many on these boards, Flake accurately describes the problem and then STOPS thinking.
The answer to high costs is to eliminate the middle guy, the insurer.
Single payer lowers costs and insures EVERYONE. That's why the REST OF the world does it that way.
I’m waiting for the Trumptards who rail against McCain’s “Cadillac” health coverage to chime in on the army of doctors Head Progressive In Charge currently has on call. LOL