Spokesman: Flake to vote to repeal health law, replace later

PHOENIX (AP) - Sen. Jeff Flake’s office says the Arizona Republican would vote for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s backup proposal to repeal the Obama health care law and replace it later.

Flake spokesman Jason Samuels says Flake “is a yes” on the backup proposal, as he was in 2015 on similar legislation to repeal big parts of Obamacare, with a two-year delay built in.

McConnell turned to that approach after getting stunned Monday night by defections by Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas on a repeal-and-replace bill.

However, three other GOP senators on Tuesday then denied McConnell the votes to move forward with the straight-up repeal.