Two more Republican senators came out against the Republican health care bill Monday night, effectively stalling the bill for the time being.
- 2 more Republican senators announce opposition for health care bill
- Sens. Jerry Moran, Mike Lee, tweeted their opposition
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Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas and Mike Lee, R-Utah, announced on Twitter that they would vote against the bill, dealing a blow to GOP leaders' hopes of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.
Moran said he would not put his stamp of approval on "bad policy," and called the Senate to start over with an open legislative process. Republicans had been criticized because the bill was crafted in secret with a gang of 13 Republican senators.
My full statement opposing this version of BCRA: pic.twitter.com/CUq4Kibe0I
— Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) July 18, 2017
Lee, meanwhile, said he can't support the bill because it doesn't repeal all the ACA's taxes and doesn't do enough to lower premiums.
Here is my statement explaining why I will vote no on the BCRA motion to proceed: https://t.co/lDpIGDS456
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 18, 2017
Lee and Moran joins Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, in voicing opposition to the bill. With four senators in opposition, there is no way for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to overcome procedural votes to allow the bill to proceed.
The bill was already delayed while Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, recovered from surgery.
Other Republican senators had also signaled they may oppose the bill.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, repeated his recent call to simply repeal the ACA and then create a separate bill for a new health care plan.
Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.