Shortly after midnight, in a historic vote, Senator John McCain voted “No” to Mitch McConnel’s Healthcare Freedom Act, also known as the “skinny repeal.” As the last Senator to cast his vote, he had the power to either pass or kill the bill. He chose the latter and joined Senator’s Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkoski of Alaska. The irony… McCain was one of President Obama’s loudest critics regarding the Affordable Care Act, and last night he was the final vote, which essentially saved President Obama’s bill.
McCain was recently diagnosed with brain cancer; however, he flew back to Washington earlier this week to vote “Yes” on the motion to move forward with health-care legislation. He then took to the Senate floor to ridicule his party for trying to pass a bad bill.
“Stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths on the radio and television and the Internet… To hell with them! They don’t want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood. Let’s trust each other. Let’s return to regular order.”
This is truly a historic moment in America’s efforts to get healthcare right. After 7 years of campaigning to repeal and replace Obamacare, Republicans have failed to deliver and pass a better bill. What’s next for the Republican Party?