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John McCain blood clot surgery delays healthcare reform vote Senate healthcare vote delayed by John McCain blood clot surgery
(about 5 hours later)
John McCain’s absence from the Senate as he recovers from surgery for a blood clot has led the Republican leadership to postpone consideration of the Trump administration’s troubled healthcare legislation. John McCain’s absence from the Senate as he recovers from surgery has led Republican leadership to postpone consideration of the troubled healthcare bill.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said on Saturday that he was deferring action on the measure as McCain recovers at his home in Arizona. Surgeons in Phoenix removed a blood clot from above the senator’s left eye on Friday. The 80-year-old was advised by doctors to remain in Arizona next week, his office said. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said late on Saturday night he was deferring action as McCain recovers at his home in Arizona. Surgeons in Phoenix removed a blood clot from above the 80-year-old senator’s left eye on Friday, in a “minimally invasive” procedure.
“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. McCain, a three-time survivor of melanoma, was reported to be resting comfortably, having been advised to remain in Arizona next week.
A close vote had already been predicted for the healthcare bill, with all Democrats and independents coming out against it and some Republicans opposed or undecided. With the Republican party holding a 52-48 majority, they can afford to lose only two of their own party. Vice-president Mike Pence would break a tie for final passage. “While John is recovering,” McConnell said in a statement, “the Senate will continue our work on legislative items and nominations, and will defer consideration of the Better Care Act.”
Two Republicans, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, have already said they will vote against the measure. A close vote had been predicted for the healthcare bill, with all Democrats and independents against it. With the Republicans holding a 52-48 majority, they can afford to lose only two of their own party. Vice-president Mike Pence would break a tie for final passage.
McCain predicted last week that the bill would fail after lawmakers back in their home states for recess heard strong opposition from voters. Opposition to the Senate bill has come from both the conservative and moderate wings of the party. One conservative, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and a moderate, Susan Collins of Maine, have already said they will vote against the measure.
A procedural vote expected in the coming days had been cast as a showdown over the measure designed to replace Barack Obama’s healthcare law, commonly called Obamacare. On Saturday, two insurance industry giants said in an open letter to McConnell that a provision authored by the Texas conservative Ted Cruz was “simply unworkable in any form” and would “undermine protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions”, increase premiums and lead to “widespread terminations of coverage”.
McConnell and other party leaders have been urging senators to at least vote in favour of opening debate, which would allow senators to offer amendments. In recent days GOP leaders have expressed optimism that they were getting closer to a version that could pass the Senate. I'd say the only thing more difficult than peace between Israel and the Palestinians is healthcare
In Phoenix, Mayo clinic hospital doctors said McCain underwent a “minimally invasive” procedure to remove the 5cm (2in) clot and that the surgery went “very well,” a hospital statement said. McCain was reported to be resting comfortably at home. The Cruz provision allows insurers to sell basic, “bare bones” plans as well as the comprehensive coverage mandated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Barack Obama’s healthcare law. The open letter to McConnell was issued by America’s Health Care Plans and the BlueCross BlueShield Association.
Pathology reports on the clot were expected in the next several days. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office score for the first version of the Senate bill, which McConnell did not put to a vote, said it would cause 22 million people to lose health insurance in 10 years. A House bill, passed in May to great fanfare from President Donald Trump, scored worse with the CBO and is not viewed by Senate Republicans as viable.
McCain is a three-time survivor of melanoma. Records of his medical exams released in 2008 when he was the GOP candidate for president showed that he has had precancerous skin lesions removed and had an early stage squamous cell carcinoma, an easily cured skin cancer, removed. On Thursday, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said healthcare reform was “the only thing more difficult than peace between Israel and the Palestinians”.
“It’s like this narrow road that’s about a quarter of an inch wide,” Trump said. “You get a couple [votes] here and you say, great, and then you find out you just lost four over here. Healthcare is tough.”
McConnell’s version of that quote was to tell a town hall audience in his native Kentucky this month he was “a guy with a Rubik’s cube – trying to twist the dial in such a way to get at least 50 members of my conference who can agree to a version of repealing and replacing Obamacare”.
McCain predicted last week that the Senate bill would fail after lawmakers back in their home states for the summer recess – which McConnell delayed by three weeks – heard strong opposition from voters. As well as its effects on health insurance accessibility, the bill mandates huge cuts to Medicaid, which is relied upon by many old or low-income Americans.
On Friday and Saturday, White House figures including Pence met state governors meeting in Rhode Island, aiming to secure backing for the Senate bill. Little success was reported.
A procedural Senate vote expected in the coming days had been cast as a showdown over the measure designed to replace the ACA, commonly known as Obamacare. Republicans in Congress have tried to repeal and replace the ACA for seven years. In 2013 such efforts in the Senate, led by Cruz, led to a government shutdown.
McConnell and other party leaders have been urging senators to at least vote in favor of opening debate, which would allow senators to offer amendments. In recent days GOP leaders had expressed optimism that they were getting closer to a version that could pass the Senate.