The good news is that the Graham-Cassidy proposal looks like it lacks the support to pass. And it is unpopular with the broader electorate.
A new poll finds that more than half of Americans prefer Obamacare over the newest Republican plan. Only 33 percent prefer the Graham-Cassidy proposal that Senate Republicans plan to vote on by the end of September.
According to the Washington Post, “Public opinion didn’t stop Republicans from voting on unpopular health-care bills earlier this year. Republicans may try again early next week to pass this bill, given it’s their last chance for a while to do something on health care. It’s likelier than not it will fail, given that Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) oppose it and two other senators have serious concerns about it.
According to CNN, “Sen. John McCain announced Friday in a statement that he cannot "in good conscience" vote for the GOP's latest plan to overhaul Obamacare, likely ending Republicans' latest effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
" ‘I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal,’ the Arizona Republican said in a statement. ‘I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I 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. 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's ‘no’ vote means it is likely Republicans won't be able to repeal and replace Obamacare before September 30, as Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he would not back Graham-Cassidy and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine has said she is leaning "no" on the proposal. But there are still questions as to where Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is at the moment. It's also unclear if senators on the fence would support a procedural motion on the bill even if they decide they are against Graham-Cassidy in the end.
If Cassidy-Graham doesn’t pass it “would mean Obamacare would be the law of the land for the foreseeable future. And more than half of America is okay with that.”
Here’s the story:
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| Alex Brandon/AP |
By Amber Phillips
