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Two more Republican senators say they’ll oppose motion to proceed on health care

Posted at 8:57 PM, Jul 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-17 20:57:36-04

Two more Republican senators announced Monday that they would oppose a procedural step to advance GOP leadership’s health care bill, preventing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from moving forward with plans to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas separately announced their opposition to the revised health bill, and will vote no on the motion that would allow it to go to the floor.

McConnell could only afford to lose two senators and still advance the legislation, and as of last week, he’d already lost Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

“We should not put our stamp of approval on bad policy. Furthermore, if we leave the federal government in control of everyday healthcare decisions, it is more likely that our healthcare system will devolve into a single-payer system, which would require a massive federal spending increase,” Moran said in a statement. “We must now start fresh with an open legislative process to develop innovative solutions that provide greater personal choice, protections for pre-existing conditions, increased access and lower overall costs for Kansans.”

“My colleague @JerryMoran and I will not support the MTP to this version of BCRA #HealthcareBill” Lee tweeted.