McCain calls for ‘return to regular order’ on ObamaCare repeal

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Monday night Congress should “return to regular order” to craft a replacement for ObamaCare.

“One of the major problems with Obamacare was that it was written on a strict party-line basis and driven through Congress without a single Republican vote. As this law continues to crumble in Arizona and states across the country, we must not repeat the original mistakes that led to Obamacare’s failure,” he said in a statement from Arizona, where he is recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot above his left eye.

“The Congress must now return to regular order, hold hearings, receive input from members of both parties, and heed the recommendations of our nation’s governors so that we can produce a bill that finally provides Americans with access to quality and affordable health care.”

McCain’s statement comes after GOP Sens. Jerry Moran (Kan.) and Mike Lee (Utah) announced on Monday night that they would not support taking up a bill repealing and replacing ObamaCare, effectively blocking the legislation. 

{mosads}Their decision means Republicans in the Senate are well short of having the support to pass their legislation and raises serious questions about whether President Trump will reach his goal of ending ObamaCare.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was also forced to delay a vote expected for this week after a surprise announcement that McCain would spend the week in Arizona recovering from surgery, depriving McConnell of the simple majority needed.