Two more GOP senators announced Monday evening that they are opposed to the Senate Obamacare repeal bill, meaning that even when Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) returns from a medical emergency that delayed plans for a vote this week, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will not have enough support to even advance the legislation to the floor.
Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) announced on Twitter their opposition to the motion to proceed, a procedural vote that would have opened the bill to debate. In a statement, Lee said he opposed the bill –the Better Care Reconciliation, Act–because it kept some Obamacare taxes and regulations, while an amendment that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) negotiated to earn conservative support was not enough to gain his vote.
My colleague @JerryMoran and I will not support the MTP to this version of BCRA #HealthcareBill
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 18, 2017
Moran, meanwhile, was critical of the “closed door process” as well as the substance of the legislation. “We should not put our stamp of approval on bad policy,” Moran said.
My full statement opposing this version of BCRA: pic.twitter.com/CUq4Kibe0I
— Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) July 18, 2017
Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) had previously announced that they opposed the latest form of the bill, which was unveiled last week.
Republican leaders had hoped to at least get it through the motion to proceed vote, which would start the floor process during which amendments could also be voted on to secure support.
News that McCain had undergone emergency surgery for a blood clot on Friday had forced McConnell to “defer” a vote for the time being. With McCain’s absence, Republicans did not have the 50 votes to even bring the bill to the floor. Lee’s and Moran’s opposition means that at best the legislation will have to undergo more changes to get the 50 votes to pass it.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Donnie - If you aren’t aware, your presidency is over. Doesn’t matter how many days you stay in the White House, you are a loser.
2011: “Lemme drive” - Republicans
2012: “Lemme drive” - Republicans
2013: “Lemme drive” - Republicans
2014: “Lemme drive” - Republicans
2015: “Lemme drive” - Republicans
2016: “Lemme drive” - Republicans
2017: “Now…which lever is the velocitator and which the deceleratrix?” - Republicans
They announced together so neither had to feel the heat of being “that guy”.
I wonder how many “Moderates” will now crawl out of the woodwork going “I’m voting no”?
The floodgates are now open.
If Mitchie is stupid enough to bring up a motion to proceed, he’ll get 40 or 41 votes.
It’s toastily toasted.
Meanwhile, Mitch is having a hard time getting all the egg off his face.
“With four solid votes against the bill, Republican leaders were faced with two options: Try to go back and rewrite the bill in a way that could secure 50 Republican votes, a seeming impossibility at this point, or do as Mr. McConnell promised, and team with Democrats to draft a narrower, bipartisan measure to fix the flaws in the Affordable Care Act that both parties acknowledge.”