WASHINGTON (PNN) - July 28, 2017 - Late Thursday night, known traitor and Senator John McCain (Ariz.) joined Senators Susan Collins (Mai.) and Lisa Murkowski (Ark.) in voting against the repeal of ObamaCare (The Affordable Care Act ) in the Senate, which would have repealed the individual mandate but left the Medicaid expansion in place. Nearly 12 hours after his vote, McCain released a statement on his decision in which he slammed the bill. “While the amendment would have repealed some of ObamaCare’s most burdensome regulations, it offered no replacement to actually reform our health care system and deliver affordable, quality health care to our citizens.”
McCain returned to Washington specifically to vote on health care reform after being diagnosed with brain cancer, following surgery to remove a blood clot from above his eye. When he returned to the Senate on Tuesday, he gave a stirring speech, saying, “We Republicans have looked for a way to end [ObamaCare] and replace it with something else without paying a terrible political price. We haven't found it yet, and I'm not sure we will.”
Over the next two days, McCain voted yes on the motion to proceed on Tuesday, and yes to the Better Care Reconciliation Act - the repeal-and-replace option - but then voted against the ObamaCare Repeal Reconciliation Act, a straight repeal with a two-year delay to craft a replacement.
Then late Thursday night, as he entered the chamber to vote, he hinted to reporters that the night would have some drama in store. “Watch the show,” he said. Shortly thereafter, he became the third Republican to vote no against the repeal.
After leaving the chamber, reporters asked McCain why he voted no, to which he answered, “Because it was the right vote.”
