This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

John McCain is to return to the Senate for the first time since he announced his brain cancer diagnosis, for a make-or-break session in Republicans’ effort to repeal Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms.

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Donald Trump greeted the news on Tuesday morning, tweeting: “So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave – American hero! Thank you John.”

The president also wrote: “Big day for HealthCare. After 7 years of talking, we will soon see whether or not Republicans are willing to step up to the plate!

“ObamaCare is torturing the American People. The Democrats have fooled the people long enough. Repeal or Repeal & Replace! I have pen in hand.”

Senators will be asked on Tuesday to vote on whether to begin debate on legislation to supplant the 2010 Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare or the ACA – landmark legislation that has convulsed Republican legislators for seven years.

A loss would force Senate leaders, who have struggled to find support for their bill, to find another strategy or ditch their plans entirely.

Trump has been increasingly critical. The president held an event at the White House on Monday in which he chastised Republican senators, saying they had “not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare”. The House of Representatives passed a bill in May.

Tuesday’s vote in the Senate is expected to be extremely tight, making McCain’s return critical to the repeal effort.



The Arizona senator has said he typically votes to open legislative debates, but has voiced concerns about the Senate bill and said he would try to address them on the floor.

McCain was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer earlier this month after surgery to remove a blood clot. He had not been expected to attend Tuesday’s vote. His office released a statement late on Monday announcing his return.

In the event of enough Republican votes, senators would begin debating the bill. It would likely be subject to significant amendments.

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Some senators said it was time to either tackle the issue on the Senate floor or move on to other matters. “Now it’s time to fish or cut bait,” said the Republican Mike Rounds of South Dakota. “Let’s get on with it. We have a lot of other things to do.”

Play Video 2:59 Republican effort to repeal Obamacare ‘a ruse’, says Chuck Schumer – video

No Democrats are expected to vote in favour of opening a debate, meaning that Republicans, who hold 52 seats in the 100-seat chamber, cannot afford to lose more than two of their own.

Susan Collins of Maine is the only Republican to publicly confirm plans to vote against opening the debate, but she could be joined by others concerned about the form the legislation could take.

The vice-president, Mike Pence, would exercise his tie-breaking Senate power and vote to hold the debate in the event of an even split..

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has offered its analysis of the effect of both the Senate bill and repeal of the ACA without replacement. It said 22m Americans would lose health insurance over 10 years under the Republican bill. That figure rose to 32m without replacement legislation.

Collins was caught on a “hot mic” on Tuesday at the end of a Senate subcommittee mocking Blake Farenthold, a Republican congressman who blamed “female senators” for his party’s failure to repeal and replace Obamacare and claimed that if they were men he would challenge them to a duel.

“Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel?” Collins asked Rhode Island senator Jack Reed.

“I know,” said Reed. “Trust me. Do you know why he challenged you to a duel? ‘Cause you could beat the shit out of him.”

“Well, he’s huge,” Collins said. “And he — I don’t mean to be unkind, but he’s so unattractive it’s unbelievable.”

She added: “Did you see the picture of him in his pajamas next to this Playboy bunny?”, a reference to an infamous photo.

Collins and Reed also discussed the Trump administration’s attitude towards public spending.

“I swear, [the Office of Management and Budget] just went through and whenever there was ‘grant,’ they just X it out,” Collins said. “With no measurement, no thinking about it, no metrics, no nothing. It’s just incredibly irresponsible.”



