Senate GOP "Skinny Repeal" Bill Goes Down In 49-51 As John McCain Casts Deciding Vote

Sen. John McCain

It was a late night vote that finally put the nail in the Senate Republicans seven year plans to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act.

A vote that saw Arizona Sen. John McCain remind folks why he likes to be called a "maverick."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's "skinny repeal" went down in the vote of 49-51.

From the New York Times:

Senator John McCain of Arizona, who just this week returned to the Senate after receiving a diagnosis of brain cancer, cast the decisive vote to defeat the proposal, joining two other Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in opposing it.

The truncated Republican plan that ultimately fell was far less than what Republicans once envisioned. Republican leaders, unable to overcome complaints from both moderate and conservative members of their caucus, said the skeletal plan was just a vehicle to permit negotiations with the House, which passed a much more ambitious repeal bill in early May.

The “skinny repeal” bill, as it became known at the Capitol this week, would still have had broad effects on health care. The bill would have increased the number of people who are uninsured by 15 million next year compared with current law, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Premiums for people buying insurance on their own would have increased roughly 20 percent, the budget office said.

Earlier in the day, Sens. McCain, Graham, and Johnson looked for assurances that, if passage of the "skinny repeal" would keep the process open, they might vote for it IF Speaker of the House Paul Rayn would promise to to swift vote the legislation and send it to the president "as-is" just for a win. Ryan issued a weak assurance but it seems not wholly convincing.

While the attention is focused on McCain, it's important to note that Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had been stalwart "no's" all week long.

The Twitterverse responded to the last night vote:

Here's the moment. McCain walks up to the desk, puts his thumb down, and votes 'no' on the skinny repeal. pic.twitter.com/b6DwX7etp9

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017

Skinny repeal fell short because it fell short of our promise to repeal & replace Obamacare w/ meaningful reform https://t.co/tZISIvccOO

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 28, 2017

3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017

Susan Collins: "We must work together to put together a bipartisan bill that fixes the flaws in the ACA and works for all Americans." pic.twitter.com/FDqRdlNAqG

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017

In the end, probably a good dozen Senate Republicans who are relieved it didn't pass.

But only McCain had stature enough to vote NO

— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) July 28, 2017

.@morningmika: "It really has been a massive week of failures for this president." pic.twitter.com/fNmAJ3Sios

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017

For the record, he said 'repeal and replace' from the beginning. Not 'let Obamacare explode.' https://t.co/jGrgYybLpA

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017

McCain leaving the Capitol asked why he voted NO: "I thought it was the right thing to do."

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) July 28, 2017

John McCain prefers Presidents who weren't captured by Putin.

— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) July 28, 2017

Susan Collins, who has a smile on her face, just walked over to Murkowski and McCain and the three are laughing

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) July 28, 2017

FLASHBACK. McConnell '09: Dem health bill "written behind closed doors."

GOP intro'd their bill 2hrs before voting. https://t.co/tAOFBW20Ua

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 28, 2017