Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Key Democrat opposes GOP Section 230 subpoena for Facebook, Twitter, Google MORE (R-S.C.) said Tuesday that the GOP has already suffered a key defection on its healthcare reform bill and it may make sense to move past the issue sooner instead of later.

“We’re stuck. We can’t get there from here,” Graham told reporters. “I’m very leery of a healthcare bill passing the Senate that can get through the House. We’ve already lost Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Rand Paul says he can't judge 'guilt or innocence' in Breonna Taylor case Overnight Health Care: Health officials tell public to trust in science | Despair at CDC under Trump influence | A new vaccine phase 3 trial starts MORE, so we’re down to 51.”

Graham said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is “irretrievably gone,” meaning GOP leaders can only afford one more defection and still pass legislation repealing and replacing ObamaCare.

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“He’s not going to vote for any bill that has refundable tax credits to help low-income people buy healthcare,” Graham said of the Kentucky senator, who is one of the most conservative members of the GOP conference.

“While we do have a press assistant opening in the Communications Department, Senator Graham has not applied and should not make public statements on behalf of Senator Rand Paul,” Paul spokesman Sergio Gor said in a statement, however. “Senator Paul remains optimistic the bill can be improved in the days ahead and is keeping an open mind.”

Republicans control 52 seats in the Senate, and Vice President Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PencePence vows for law and order everywhere Trump met with chants of protest as he pays respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg The Hill's 12:30 Report: Ginsburg lies in repose MORE can break a 50-50 tie, but three GOP no votes would spell the end of the legislation.

Graham is the latest Republican senator to publicly express doubt over the Senate’s ability to pass a healthcare reform bill that has any chance of later passing the House and becoming law.

There’s growing concern within the GOP conference that they will end up spending too much time on a healthcare debate that goes nowhere and will then have less chance of overhauling the tax code, another top priority.

Graham said if the Congressional Budget Office score for the Senate healthcare bill is as negative as its analysis for the House-passed measure, “we’re in trouble.”

“We need to bring this to an end and move to taxes,” he said. “A lot of the blame is on the Congress here.”

Sen. Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrHillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Bipartisan representatives demand answers on expired surveillance programs Rep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy MORE (R-N.C.), one of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE’s (R-Ky.) closest allies in the Senate GOP conference, last week said he did not think the Senate would be able to pass a comprehensive healthcare reform bill this year.

“I think it’s unlikely we will get a healthcare bill,” Burr told a local television station, calling the House bill “dead on arrival” and “not a good plan.”

McConnell told Reuters last month that he does not yet know how he will find 50 votes to pass a healthcare overhaul, a comment that was interpreted among Senate Republicans as lowering expectations for a legislative victory.

Graham said on Tuesday Republicans should “let ObamaCare collapse” and then work with Democrats to “find a better solution.”

He added that the GOP should move quickly to taxes.

“On taxes, that needs to be the next agenda item. We need to do it in calendar year 2017,” he said.

--Jordain Carney contributed to this report, which was updated at 3:22 p.m.