Washington – The U.S. Senate will delay its consideration of healthcare legislation while Arizona Republican Senator John McCain recuperates from surgery, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Saturday.
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McCain’s absence cast doubt on whether the Senate would be able to pass the legislation to dismantle and replace Obamacare. McConnell needs 50 “yes” votes for passage in a chamber the Republicans control by a 52-48 margin.
“While John is recovering, the Senate will continue our work on legislative items and nominations, and will defer consideration of the Better Care Act,” McConnell said in a statement.
The announcement came after McCain’s office said he would remain in Arizona next week following a procedure to remove a 2-inch (5-cm) blood clot from above his left eye.
Repealing and replacing President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law was a top campaign promise for President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.
But two Republican senators have already declared their opposition to revised legislation unveiled on Thursday.
McCain has expressed concern about the healthcare bill but has not said how he would vote.
The 2008 Republican presidential nominee, McCain was resting comfortably at home in good condition after Friday’s operation, his office said.
“There are few people tougher than my friend John McCain, and I know he’ll be back with us soon,” McConnell said.
McCain’s surgeons removed the clot during a minimally invasive craniotomy through an incision in the 80-year-old lawmaker’s eyebrow. Tissue pathology reports would be available within the next several days.
“Thanks to @MayoClinic for its excellent care — I appreciate your support & look forward to getting back to work!” McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on social network Twitter late on Saturday.
There’s something ironic about a healthcare vote being delayed due to a senator’s healthcare issue.
Delay, delay, delay, 2018 2020 etc. etc. The same old, same old, same old. Any reason to delay wonder what the next will be. Let Obamacare go let it die of its own weight and then start again. When Obama wanted something voted for no one even read the thing, now the punctuation is even important. People vote for the same old get the same old, dead tired people who really don’t care just send them the money.
This is tough bill much harder than one can imagine. Once Obama dished out free goodies to 22 million Americans its nearly impossible to take it back. Its hard to anticipate the repercussions of taking back free lunches till you try to do it. Its like a domed if you do and doomed if you don’t. Its kind of why Lakewood can’t get off programs. Once you pop you can’t stop and you get accustomed to freebies.
So why not just keep the ACA? Because healthcare costs rose for 160 million americans not entitled to subsidies or medicad. Whats my source? Firstly , I researched it via the kaizer institute’s website. In fact as Lawrence correctly pointed out, I errored and stated that it rose for 175 million Americans however as kazier noted that numbers were actually somewhere around 160 million. But lets leave aside kaizer, I would suggest you also take an informal study which I believe is a pretty strong microcosm of the greater society at large. Ask 10/20 people at you local shul who do not receive any govt assistance at all how they like their health care post Obama. I have yet to meet one person who said costs are down. In fact most say it rose enormously esp those not in corp america.
Let me debunk a few more myths.
Other countries seem to have a better system than us and get it right. The USA has a second to none top notch system. We all know when someone is lo alinu sick the fly to the USA not to Switzerland for health care. Yes you’ll find these far out reports of people that travel elsewhere for cheaper and treatment. Its not the norm and you all know it. Nobody from EY flies to Canada or the UK for health care. They come to the mao clinic in the USA. Its a figure of the imagination and fake news.
So why not lets all have coverage like McConnel?
We can’t afford to offer that kind of top notch coverage to every USA citizen. ts simply impossible. In fact country’s that do offer single payer don’t offer top service, innovative dr’s. access to experimental treatments and robust end of life care like here in the USA. At most you would get is single payer for essentials, however people in the stature of senators would still purchase better insurance for themselves. So stop dreaming on getting coverage like a senator because it does into exist anywhere. Its simply a socialst bernie dream and nice slogan.
I don’t know how sick McCain is, but the Republican proposal is on life support.
What TRump promised about TRumpCare…
>> ‘Every bit as good on pre-existing conditions as Obamacare.’
>> ‘No cuts’ to Medicaid
>> ‘Everybody’s got to be covered.’ “We’re going to have insurance for everybody.”
>> “We’re gonna bring down the price of health care. We’re going to bring it down big.” “Our healthcare plan will lower premiums & deductibles — and be great healthcare!”
And another whopper …
“We will immediately repeal and replace ObamaCare – and nobody can do that like me. We will save $’s and have much better healthcare!”
Liar Liar. Liar.
Archy: Do you really object that Medicare doesn’t pay for nursing homes or dental care? You’re the one who doesn’t want the government to give out new goodies! With regard to the profit in the health care industry, it is huge, measuring in the ten of billions of dollars if not hundreds of billions. Big pharma routinely has a profit margin of 15% or more of gross profit. That’s a pretty big number. United Health has a profit margin of 10% of gross profit. These are not razor thin margins. And we are not counting the multi-million dollar compensation packages executives get.
The government could put medicaid on computer, if Congress would appropriate the funds to do it. And by the way, many private insurance plans do not have a wellness program. For example, they won’t pay to send a diabetic to a podiatrist every year, which could cut down on surgical toe and foot amputations, but they will pay for the amputations. Certainly medicaid and medicare could provide wellness programs, but will Congress pass the laws necessary to do so? Give the current atmosphere in Washington, I doubt it.