READ: John McCain’s Statement Explaining ‘Skinny Repeal’ No Vote

Three Republican senators put an end to the “Skinny Repeal” of Obamacare in the early morning hours of July 28, and one of them was Arizona Senator John McCain, who is fighting brain cancer.

McCain’s vote provoked a divisive reaction on social media, with some praising McCain’s heroism and others criticizing his vote. The bill failed by a 49-51 vote, with McCain’s vote being decisive. The other Republican senators who voted against “Skinny Repeal” were Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

A few minutes after the dramatic vote, McCain released a statement explaining his “no” vote on Skinny Repeal. In the statement, the senator asserted he still believes that Obamacare should be repealed and replaced, but he didn’t think the Skinny Repeal option was viable, calling it “this shell of a bill.”

“Skinny repeal fell short because it fell short of our promise to repeal & replace Obamacare w/ meaningful reform,” McCain added in a tweet.

Here’s what McCain’s statement said in full:

From the beginning, I have believed that Obamacare should be repealed and replaced with a solution that increases competition, lowers costs, and improves care for the American people. The so-called ‘skinny repeal’ amendment the Senate voted on today would not accomplish those goals. While the amendment would have repealed some of Obamacare’s most burdensome regulations, it offered no replacement to actually reform our health care system and deliver affordable, quality health care to our citizens. The Speaker’s statement that the House would be ‘willing’ to go to conference does not ease my concern that this shell of a bill could be taken up and passed at any time.

“I’ve stated time and time again that one of the major failures of Obamacare was that it was rammed through Congress by Democrats on a strict-party line basis without a single Republican vote. We should not make the mistakes of the past that has led to Obamacare’s collapse, including in my home state of Arizona where premiums are skyrocketing and health care providers are fleeing the marketplace. We must now return to the correct way of legislating and send the bill back to committee, hold hearings, receive input from both sides of aisle, heed the recommendations of nation’s governors, and produce a bill that finally delivers affordable health care for the American people. We must do the hard work our citizens expect of us and deserve.

Watch McCain vote no:

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