McCain Kills Obamacare Skinny Repeal

"It's time to move on." Those were just a few of the words used by Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare was crushed by three Republican Senators. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and John McCain were the three no votes against the so-called 'skinny' repeal bill. According to Bloomberg, Senator Mitch McConnell called the vote a "disappointing moment".

“I regret that our efforts were simply not enough, this time,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor after the vote. “This is clearly a disappointing moment.”

McCain was a bigger surprise. He has long called for repeal, but grew frustrated over the secretive process that GOP leaders employed to draft various repeal measures. When he returned this week, he made an impassioned speech on the Senate floor for bipartisanship, making it clear he was prepared to vote against the legislation if it didn’t satisfy his concerns. “We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of aisle, heed the recommendations of nation’s governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people,” McCain said in a statement after the vote. “We must do the hard work our citizens expect of us and deserve.”

Yesterday on The Chad Hasty Show, Senator John Cornyn said he was optimistic about the vote but less than 24 hours later it is hard to see how anyone could remain optimistic about the chances of the Republican controlled Congress passing repeal legislation. Texas Senator Ted Cruz expressed his frustration with the process and his own party warning that he couldn't see how a party could stay in power by lying to voters.

While it's possible that Republicans will revive a repeal bill in the future while working with Democrats, some experts believe the Senate will move on to tax reform. One thing is certain. After seven years of Republicans campaigning against Obamacare, it remains the law of the land.