Door ajar for repeal of Obamacare; Senate can now debate a possible replacement bill

U.S. Senate Republicans, with the aid of a tie breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence approved a procedural vote Tuesday to allow the healthcare debate to move forward. The vote would have been stymied, but U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., made a dramatic return to the chamber to cast a critical vote, the first time he’s been in the chamber since his brain cancer diagnosis.

McCain was aided in his efforts by yes votes from Arkansas’ Republican senators, John Boozman and Tom Cotton.

The healthcare fates for millions of people now hangs in the balance as senators can move forward with plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, and craft their own replacement bill. How the chamber will come to a consensus on a replacement bill has still not been laid out.

McCain said he may have allowed the procedural vote to move forward, but he will not vote for the current senate replacement bill, and politics as usual will not deliver a viable solution. He took shots at partisan Republicans, and Democrats for not including the GOP in the crafting of Obamacare. He also delivered a warning shot at President Donald Trump.

“I will not vote for this bill as it is today … We (the Senate) are not the president’s subordinates … we are his equal,” McCain said.

Healthcare is tied to at least one-sixth of the U.S. economy and has become a serious problem for Republicans who have promised solutions and to remove Obamacare. The problem is that more than 22 million people now receive healthcare insurance through the program, and it has become increasingly popular the last several years. Hundreds of thousands of Arkansans receive health insurance through the state expanded Medicaid program, Arkansas Works, which is funded by Obamacare. What specific ideas Boozman and Cotton support in the new legislation remains a mystery.

Talk Business & Politics attempted all day Tuesday to garner responses from the state’s two senators, but both chose to not respond to specific questions about the bill. Neither senator has offered much insight into their thoughts about if they will back a new law that would cut Medicaid funds to the state. After the vote, Boozman and Cotton released statements condemning the current healthcare law, and touting a replacement.

“Arkansans have been calling for a repeal ever since Obamacare was forced upon them. Today, we moved closer to making that a reality. Obamacare is not sustainable and preserving the status quo is not an option,” Boozman said. “This is just the first step. While much work remains to be done, this vote signals to the American people that we remain committed to repairing our health care system by putting into place a system that ensures access to affordable, quality care for every American.”

Arkansas’ junior U.S. senator provided a similar statement.

“Obamacare continues its downward spiral, sending premiums through the roof and leaving people with far fewer choices. We owe it to Arkansans to finally give them some relief from this law. It’s what we promised, and what they deserve,” Cotton said. “This vote is the first step toward solving the problems created by Obamacare. And as the Senate continues to deliberate, I will be carefully monitoring any legislative changes that are proposed. It’s important we get this right, so that we create a health-care system that works for Arkansans.”

Trump praised the Tuesday vote, and still continued to fire shots at embattled U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. During a press conference Tuesday, Trump said his still disappointed Sessions recused himself for the ongoing FBI Russia election probe. The president reiterated he would not have appointed Sessions had he known he would recuse himself from the investigation. The Washington Post reported late Tuesday night that Sessions has informed the White House he has no plans to resign. Trump could still fire him, and the president hasn’t ruled out that possibility.

Cotton has publicly praised Sessions in the past, and continued to show support for him Tuesday.

“Jeff Sessions is a good man and a fine attorney general. Jeff is working to keep our streets safe, secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws, and protect our nation. The American people are fortunate to have him as the attorney general,” he said in a media statement.