Three more GOP senators announce opposition to healthcare bill

Republican Sens. Jerry Moran (Kan.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) and Rob Portman (Ohio) announced Tuesday afternoon that they will vote against the Senate GOP bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare in its current form.

Moran said in a statement on Twitter that the bill “missed the mark,” adding that he was “pleased” that the vote on the Senate bill was delayed by Republican leadership until after the July 4 recess.

“The Senate healthcare bill missed the mark for Kansans and therefore did not have my support,” Moran wrote. “I am pleased with the decision to delay the vote – now is the time to take a step back and put the full legislative process to work.”

“I remain committed to working with my colleagues and continuing conversations with patients and providers in Kansas to find a path forward that truly repeals and replaces Obamacare with a plan that makes certain Kansans will have access to more affordable and better quality healthcare,” he concluded.

{mosads}Senate Republicans decided earlier Tuesday to postpone a vote on legislation to repeal and replace ObamaCare after a number of lawmakers announced their opposition.

Leaders had hoped to wrap up a vote before leaving for the break. But after a Congressional Budget Office score found the legislation would leave 22 million more people uninsured over the next decade, several Republicans said they would not back a procedural vote on the bill.

Portman cited changes to Medicaid and and drug treatment as stumbling blocks for him on the bill. 

“I continue to have real concerns about the Medicaid policies in this bill, especially those that impact drug treatment at a time when Ohio is facing an opioid epidemic,” he said in a joint statement with Capito.

“For months, I have engaged with my colleagues on solutions that I believe are necessary to ensure that we improve our health care system and better combat this opioid epidemic. Unfortunately, the Senate draft falls short and therefore I cannot support it in its current form.”

Capito echoed those concerns, saying she would “only support a bill that provides access to affordable health care coverage for West Virginians, including those on Medicaid and those struggling with drug addiction.” 

“As drafted, this bill will not ensure access to affordable health care in West Virginia, does not do enough to combat the opioid epidemic that is devastating my state, cuts traditional Medicaid too deeply, and harms rural health care providers,” she added.

“As drafted, the Senate health care bill is not the right fix for West Virginia, and I cannot support it. My concerns will need to be addressed going forward.”

Nine GOP senators now oppose the bill, which leaves Republicans with a steep climb to get the measure through the Senate. Republicans have a slim 52-48 majority in the upper chamber, meaning they can only afford to lose two GOP votes, assuming no Democrats support the bill.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Dean Heller (Nev.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Ted Cruz (Texas) are also opposed to the Senate’s ObamaCare repeal bill in its current form.