--- title: AHCA: GOP Senators Who Oppose Health Care Bill description: Five Republican Senators so far oppose Mitch McConnell's health care bill, saying they can't support the legislation as written. canonical: https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-23T21:40:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T06:29:11.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here Is Every Republican Senator Who Opposes the Health Bill og:description: And why they're against their party's legislation og:url: https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb3f96aedc8118502/6988d32ae76ad2991362e122/gettyimages-164033934.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Sen. Rand Paul Delivers Immigration Address Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Conference og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here Is Every Republican Senator Who Opposes the Health Bill twitter:description: And why they're against their party's legislation twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb3f96aedc8118502/6988d32ae76ad2991362e122/gettyimages-164033934.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:24 video:published: 2017-06-22 section: politics topics: health care reform, Affordable Care Act repeal, individual mandate, employer mandate, health savings accounts, tax credits, premiums, state flexibility, bipartisanship, Senate Republicans genre: news, political speech tones: assertive, critical, defensive, urgent emotions: determination (high), frustration (medium), regret (low) sentiment: negative audience: voters, health care consumers, policymakers, political observers people: Mitch McConnell organizations: Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats products: Obamacare, health savings accounts content_suitability: health controversy [00:50-01:24]; politics [00:00-01:24] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Here Is Every Republican Senator Who Opposes the Health Care Bill > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=5e02c8e1-d9df-413b-be52-8146f405bf86&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=5e02c8e1-d9df-413b-be52-8146f405bf86&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=5e02c8e1-d9df-413b-be52-8146f405bf86&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=5e02c8e1-d9df-413b-be52-8146f405bf86&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans Reveal Their Largely Guarded Health-Care Bill [Watch (HLS stream): Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans Reveal Their Largely Guarded Health-Care Bill](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BrrUguOQ.m3u8) (1:24)  _Published 2017-06-22. Senate Republicans released their long-awaited bill Thursday to dismantle much of Barack Obama's health care law_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Senate Republicans present their health-care bill, which aims to dismantle much of the Affordable Care Act (referred to as Obamacare). The speaker outlines the bill's provisions: repealing the individual and employer mandates, eliminating Obamacare taxes, expanding tax-free health savings accounts, creating targeted tax credits, and shifting power to the states. The speaker argues the current law has failed and criticizes Democrats for refusing bipartisan cooperation. ## Key points - The bill would repeal the individual mandate so Americans are no longer forced to buy insurance they don't need or can't afford. (00:05) - The bill would repeal the employer mandate so employers no longer cut Americans' hours and take-home pay because of it. (00:11) - The bill would eliminate costly Obamacare taxes that are passed on to consumers, aiming to put downward pressure on premiums. (00:23) - The bill would expand tax-free health savings accounts and deploy targeted tax credits to help defray out-of-pocket costs. (00:30) - The bill would shift power from Washington to the states, giving them more flexibility to offer affordable insurance options. (00:40) - The speaker claims Obamacare isn't working and has failed by nearly any measure. (00:50) - The speaker asserts that more Americans will get hurt unless Congress acts on health care. (00:59) - The speaker regrets that Democrats made clear early on they did not want to work with Republicans in a serious bipartisan way. (01:05) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:23] Repealing the individual and employer mandates. The speaker describes plans to repeal the individual and employer mandates and their effects on Americans. - [00:23 to 00:40] Tax changes and state flexibility. The speaker outlines eliminating Obamacare taxes, expanding health savings accounts, offering tax credits, and shifting power to states. - [00:40 to 01:24] Criticism of Obamacare and Democrats. The speaker argues Obamacare has failed, criticizes Democrats for refusing bipartisan work, and says Republicans must act. ## Key quotes - [00:50] Unknown speaker: "Obamacare isn't working, by nearly any measure it has failed" - [01:05] Unknown speaker: "I regret that our Democratic friends made clear early on that they did not want to work with us in a serious bipartisan way" - [01:14] Unknown speaker: "But Republicans believe we have a responsibility to act and we are." ## Questions this video answers - What does the bill propose to do about the individual mandate? [00:05] - What does the bill propose to do about the employer mandate? [00:11] - How does the bill aim to affect insurance premiums? [00:23] - How would the bill shift health care power between Washington and the states? [00:40] - Why does the speaker believe Obamacare should be replaced? [00:50] - What is the speaker's view of Democrats' willingness to work on health care? [01:05] ## Content suitability - health controversy [00:50-01:24]: Discussion of a contested health-care law and claims that it has failed, with partisan criticism. - politics [00:00-01:24]: Partisan debate over legislation between Republicans and Democrats. by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) and [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/) Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:29 AM UTCPublished: Jun 23, 2017 9:40 PM UTC Senate Republicans released their long-awaited bill Thursday to dismantle much of Barack Obama's health care law by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) and [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/) Updated: Dec 13, 2023 6:29 AM UTCPublished: Jun 23, 2017 9:40 PM UTC Facing growing opposition amongst some members of his own party, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell [announced Tuesday](http://time.com/4835301/senate-health-care-vote-delay-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell/) that the chamber won’t vote on his health care bill until after the July 4 recess. A total of nine Republican Senators have thus far publicly opposed the legislation, though three went public with their stance only after the delay was announced. Democrats are expected to unanimously vote against the bill. That means Republicans can only afford two defections for the legislation to pass. Here’s a rundown of the Republican Senators who oppose the bill and why. This list only includes Senators who have explicitly said they are not supporting the current version of the bill. **Who opposes the bill?** Sens. Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Dean Heller, Susan Collins, Jerry Moran, Shelley Moore Capito and Rob Portman. Cruz, Johnson, Paul, and Lee said on June 22 that they are not ready to vote for the bill as is, although they are open to negotiations to change it. Heller followed suit on June 23, becoming the fifth person to oppose the bill. Following a Maine Senator Susan Collins said on June 26 she could not support the bill. Her decision followed a report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office which estimated that 22 million fewer Americans would be insured by 2026 under the legislation compared to current law. “I want to work w/ my GOP & Dem colleagues to fix the flaws in ACA,” Collins tweeted. “CBO analysis shows Senate bill won’t do it. I will vote no on \[motion to proceed\].” After McConnell announced the vote was delayed, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran said he didn’t support the legislation because it “missed the mark” for his constituents. Shortly after Moran’s comments, Capito and Portman issued a joint statement announcing they don’t support the bill because the [Medicaid cuts are too steep](http://time.com/money/4833189/health-care-medicaid-bankruptcies/) and because they said it doesn’t do enough to fight the [opioid epidemic](http://time.com/4675325/doctors-opioid-epidemic/). **Why are they against the bill?** In a joint statement, Cruz, Johnson, Paul and Lee said they oppose the bill because it does not fully repeal the Affordable Care Act, a signature legislative achievement of Barack Obama’s presidency. “There are provisions in this draft that represent an improvement to our current health care system but it does not appear this draft as written will accomplish the most important promise that we made to Americans: to repeal Obamacare and lower their health care costs,” reads the statement. Heller, who is up for reelection in Nevada in 2018, expressed concerns over the size of the Medicaid cuts. He said the bill would adversely impact his constituents who had benefitted from the program’s expansion under the Affordable Care Act. “It’s simply not the answer,” he said at a news conference. “And I’m announcing today that in this form, I simply will not support it.” Collins, Portman and Capito have similar concerns. While explaining her lack of support for the bill, Collins noted that 1 in 5 of her Maine constituents are on Medicaid, and argued the legislation doesn’t do enough to provide healthcare to her state’s rural residents. **What would have to change to gain their support?** This is where the ideological divisions in the Senate come into play. The more conservative Senators who oppose the bill thus far want a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. They also say the draft legislation does not do enough to lower health care premiums. “That should be the central issue for Republicans — repealing Obamacare and making healthcare more affordable,” said Cruz in a statement to CNN. But a full repeal of Obamacare, which would likely carry deep Medicaid cuts, is unlikely to fly with the likes of Collins, Heller, Capito and Portman. Thus, for the bill to pass, McConnell and other Senate leaders must find a way to appease both sides. ## Transcript [00:00] We agreed on the [ UNKNOWN ] to free America from [00:02] Obama care's mandates and policies contained in the [00:05] discussion [ UNKNOWN ] we'll repel the individual [00:08] mandate so Americans are no longer forced to buy [00:11] insurance they don't need or can't afford. We'll repel [00:15] the employer mandate so that Americans no longer [00:20] see their hours and take home pay cut by employers. [00:23] Because of it. It eliminate costly Obamacare taxes that [00:26] are passed on to consumers, so we can put downward [00:30] pressure on premiums, expand tax- free [00:34] health savings account, and deploy targeted tax [00:36] credits so we we can help defray out- of- pocket costs [00:40] And shift power from Washington to the states so they [00:43] have more flexibility to provide more Americans with [00:46] the kind of affordable insurance options they actually [00:50] want. Obamacare isn't working, by nearly any measure [00:53] it has failed and no amount of 11th hour reality [00:56] denying, or buck passing by Democrats is going to [00:59] change the fact. That more Americans are going to get [01:02] hurt unless we do something. I regret that our [01:05] Democratic friends made clear early on that they did [01:07] not want to work with us in a serious bipartisan way to [01:10] address the Obamacare status quo. But Republicans [01:14] believe we have a responsibility to act and we are. For [01:19] our constituents, for our states, and for our country. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/"},"headline":"Here Is Every Republican Senator Who Opposes the Health Care Bill","datePublished":"2017-06-23T21:40:28.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T06:29:11.000Z","description":"And why they're against their party's legislation","url":"https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/","keywords":["Congress","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb3f96aedc8118502/6988d32ae76ad2991362e122/gettyimages-164033934.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Alana Abramson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb3f96aedc8118502/6988d32ae76ad2991362e122/gettyimages-164033934.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Sen. Rand Paul Delivers Immigration Address Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Conference","caption":"Sen. Rand Paul Delivers Immigration Address Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Conference","creditText":"Alex Wong—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/","name":"Here Is Every Republican Senator Who Opposes the Health Care Bill"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans Reveal Their Largely Guarded Health-Care Bill","description":"Senate Republicans released their long-awaited bill Thursday to dismantle much of Barack Obama's health care law","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BrrUguOQ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-06-22T16:20:37.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BrrUguOQ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/","duration":"PT1M24S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4831383/republican-senators-oppose-health-care-bill/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```