During a Wednesday interview with a Phoenix-based radio show, Sen. John McCain defended his crucial vote against the ‘skinny’ Obamacare repeal bill being pushed by GOP leadership.
“Arizona was about to get screwed, if I may, under this plan,” he flatly stated.
The Arizona Republican cited many of the same concerns as Democratic senators, arguing that the bill would do little to alleviate the rising premiums and deductibles caused by Obamacare.
His vote against the bill has been characterized by some as taking a bullet for fellow Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake. Flake, a vocal critic of President Trump, is considered at risk of losing his re-election bid and voted yes on the health care bill in order to rally some support from the conservative base.
While McCain’s ‘no’ was the deciding vote that killed the repeal, he argued that he had proposed amendments that were never heard by the conference.
“I had no input frankly as to how it was going to be fixed, McCain said, “except to vote yes or no once it came out of the conference.”
After the failure of the “skinny” repeal of Obamacare, the GOP efforts to repeal and replace the healthcare legislation remain at a crossroads, with many Republican senators concerned that further progress is unlikely.