49–51… Obamacare Lives! For now…
The clock was nearing 2AM on the East Coast, and the fate of the Obamacare “skinny repeal” rested in the wrinkled hands of John McCain, the long-time senator from the state of Arizona.
Just 9 days ago, McCain had been hospitalized with a blood clot above his left eye. During his medical procedure, doctors confirmed that the war hero, who spent 5 years in a Vietnamese POW camp, had a glioblastoma (an aggressive, cancerous brain tumor). Well wishes and support from all over the country, and from both sides of the aisle, came flooding in.
A few days after his diagnosis, the 80-year-old McCain flew to D.C. to cast what ended up being the deciding vote on whether the Senate should proceed forward in the healthcare debate. McCain followed his party leaders, but afterward gave a speech that suggested he would do what he believed was best for the country.
In his remarks he pleaded with his colleagues to lay to rest the divisive rhetoric and tactics that have dogged Congress over the past decade. The impassioned, battle-tested senator explained how he wanted to see the Senate return to it’s former glory.
After the full repeal of Obamacare was rejected, a “skinny repeal”, which singled out specific aspects of the Affordable Care Act, was brought to the floor.
Republican leaders, including Mitch McConnell and Vice-President Pence, attempted to win over McCain’s vote when he arrived at the Capitol building late Thursday night. Republican congressmen hoped the Arizona senator would help make good on the GOP’s 7-year promise to repeal Obamacare.
The room quieted as each senator cast their vote. Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, had come forward earlier that night against the skinny repeal. But even with Murkowski and Collins, the Democrats still needed one more vote. A 50–50 split would leave the bill’s fate to Vice-President Pence, who would have undoubtedly supported the repeal.
When McCain’s turn to vote neared, the old senator walked to the center of the floor with his right arm outstretched. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who recently orchestrated the failed GOP healthcare bill (which he wrote with 12 other men behind closed doors), stood just a few feet away with arms crossed and a face painted in anxious uncertainty.
McCain waited there with his right arm outstretched, and when he heard his name called, he turned the outstretched hand signaling his thumb down. He gave the Democrats, and 20 million Americans who have since received health insurance under Obamacare, the emphatic “no” they had hoped to hear. Some applauded and others gasped, but McCain just looked at McConnell before turning his back to him and walking away.
While most of the country was asleep, McCain left the Capitol building with his (recently operated on) head held high. As the senator stepped into a car, a reporter asked why he voted against the repeal. McCain responded, “because it was the right vote.”
The words McCain had spoken just a few days earlier were ultimately backed up by his actions. The old maverick, who had defied his party from time to time in previous votes, once again showed that he can’t easily be bullied.
Unfortunately, the fight over healthcare is likely not close to being over. It’s safe to say another bill will probably be drafted in the weeks or months to come. But for now… Obamacare lives.
This post doesn’t talk about Obama’s battle to get the Affordable Care Act passed. This post doesn’t talk about the fortitude of Murkowski, Collins, and the unified 48 Democratic senators. This post doesn’t talk about the tens of thousands of concerned American citizens who called and wrote their senators to vote against the repeal. In reality, there are just too many important characters in this story for a short blog entry.
McCain’s actions this morning though offer us something critical for the fight going forward. They offer us a glimmer of hope that other senators will follow his lead and put the good of the country over the good of their party.
Yes, it was a powerful moment when the long-time senator and war hero, now battling brain cancer, made his way to the center of the Senate floor around 1:30 in the morning with an outstretched arm. Perhaps his 80-year-old thumb will end up making a world of difference.
