GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), and Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) are the three Senators who are working to make sure the Affordable Care Act isn’t repealed. The Republican leadership in the Senate wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but the fact that there was no replacement lined up made these three Senators wary of supporting it. All three women released statements against the bill and any attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, especially without a replacement.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell planned to have Congress split the vote, which would lead to Vice President Pence breaking the tie. However, Senator John McCain is currently recovering from surgery in Arizona, so he won’t be able to vote, which leaves McConnell one vote shorter. It will only take two more votes to shoot down the bill, and these three Republicans coming forward as against the bill essentially kills McConnell’s plan.
Lisa Murkowski said, “As I stated earlier this year, I cannot vote to proceed to repeal the ACA without reform that allows people the choice they want, the affordability they need and the quality of care they deserve.”
Collins said, “Repealing without a replacement would create great uncertainty for individuals who rely on the ACA and cause further turmoil in the insurance markets.”
Capito said, “As I have said before, I did not come to Washington to hurt people. For months, I have expressed reservations about the direction of the bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.”
In their statements, they make it clear that when considering the well-being of the people in each of their states, they feel repealing the bill without anything to take its place will cause more harm than good. The same legislation was voted on in 2015, but everyone knew that Obama would veto it, which may be part of the reason it got the votes. Now that Trump is supporting the bill, the numbers have changed, and it no longer has to support it did 18 months ago.
According to the Congressional Budget Board, if portions of Obamacare are repealed without a new plan in place, 18 million people could be uninsured. Sens. Collins, Murkowski, and Capito, if they stand by their statements, could keep millions insured. By standing up to their party leader and the President, who are backing the bill, they might be saving lives across the country.
Top photo: Sen. Susan Collins, via Facebook/Sen. Susan Collins
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