Another attempt to repeal Obamacare failed early Friday — and the excuses coming out of Congress seem to have President Donald Trump fed up.
Republican finger-pointing commenced after the Senate’s dark-of-night defeat of the GOP’s latest effort to repeal much of the Obama healthcare law in a startling vote that dealt a blistering blow to Trump.
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Trump tweeted early Friday after GOP leaders failed to patch party divisions and the Senate rejected a last-ditch bill to keep the effort alive —
3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
The “skinny repeal” bill — erasing several parts of President Barack Obama’s law — was rejected just before 2 a.m. EST on a vote of 51-49.
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Democrats were joined by three Republicans to reject it —
- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
The 80-year-old Arizona senator made a dramatic return to the Capitol Tuesday after being diagnosed with brain cancer to cast a decisive procedural vote that for a time had advanced the legislation.
Following rejection of two broader GOP repeal plans earlier in the week, the early Friday vote cast doubt on whether establishment Republicans can advance any health bill despite seven years of promises to repeal “Obamacare.”
The measure that was defeated Friday would have repealed an Obama mandate that most people get health insurance and would have suspended a requirement that larger companies offer coverage to their employees. It would have also suspended a tax on medical devices and denied federal funding to abortion-provider Planned Parenthood for a year.
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“This is clearly a disappointing moment,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, said. “I regret that our efforts were not enough this time.”
“It’s time to move on,” he said. McConnell put the health bill on hold and announced that the Senate would move onto other legislation next week.
Conservative Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., who’s running for a vacant Senate seat, suggested it was time for McConnell to relinquish his post.
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“If they’re going to quit, well then by golly, maybe they ought to start at the top with Mitch McConnell leaving his position and letting somebody new, somebody bold, somebody conservative take the reins,” Brooks said on CNN. He added, “How is he going to get the job done on the rest of President Trump’s agenda?”
Trump himself too to twitter to express his frustrations —
If Republicans are going to pass great future legislation in the Senate, they must immediately go to a 51 vote majority, not senseless 60…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
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…Even though parts of healthcare could pass at 51, some really good things need 60. So many great future bills & budgets need 60 votes….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
The amendment was a last resort for Senate Republicans to pass something — anything — to trigger negotiations with the House.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said in a statement that the Trump administration would pursue its healthcare goals through regulation. “This effort will continue,” Price said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
