GOP/HEALTHCARE/JOHN MCCAIN/MIKE PENCE/OBAMACARE(ACA): “Senate Republicans overcame a range of internal fissures in narrowly voting on Tuesday [7-26-17] to begin debate on their health-care overhaul, but the party suffered a setback hours later when a proposal replacing major portions of the Affordable Care Act failed to attract enough votes to pass.
In a dramatic day at the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence broke a 50-50 tie, allowing Senate Republicans to clear a procedural hurdle and setting up a days-long stretch of debate and amendment votes on the GOP effort to dismantle and replace much of former President Barack Obama’s 2010 Affordable Care Act.
The two GOP defections came from Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who joined all Senate Democrats in voting against proceeding to debate the legislation.
The vote, punctuated by an emotional last-minute appearance by Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), who was diagnosed recently with brain cancer, delivered a come-from-behind victory for President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), who persuaded Republicans skeptical of the GOP bill to band together long enough to begin debate.”
-Stephanie Armour, Kristina Peterson, and Michelle Hackman, “Senate Health Debate Rolls On After First Option Fails,” The Wall Street Journal online, July 25, 2017 10:10pm