Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Monday a new budget analysis shows the GOP plan to replace Obamacare falls short and she will reject a procedural motion to take up the bill this week.
Ms. Collins, of Maine, was reacting to a Congressional Budget Office report that said the draft plan released by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would result in tens of millions fewer people holding insurance a decade from now.
“CBO says 22 million people lose insurance; Medicaid cuts hurt most vulnerable Americans; access to healthcare in rural areas threatened,” Ms. Collins said on Twitter.
Her opposition could stall the repeal effort, even as GOP leaders pushed for a floor vote before senators go home for a weeklong break around the July 4 holiday.
Two other Senate Republicans — Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin — said late Monday they couldn’t support a motion to proceed, and still more Republicans said they wanted more time to vet the plan and CBO report.
Democrats only had to pick off three senators from the 52-seat GOP majority to slow down Mr. McConnell’s push this week.
Ms. Collins said she wants to work with senators from both parties to fix insurance markets that are struggling under the Affordable Care Act.
“CBO analysis shows Senate bill won’t do it,” she tweeted.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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