--- title: John McCain Votes for GOP Health Care Bill, Then Bashes It description: John McCain vowed not to vote for the Republican health care bill in its current form, even as he voted in favor of moving it forward. canonical: https://time.com/4873455/john-mccain-health-care-vote-speech/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-07-25T20:00:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T16:43:46.038Z article:section: Politics og:title: John McCain Voted to Save the GOP Health Care Bill. Then He Bashed It og:description: "It’s a shell of a bill right now, we all know that" og:url: https://time.com/4873455/john-mccain-health-care-vote-speech/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04f2206b90c2e8b2/6988cd96cf40a87b8dc47b57/gettyimages-6768562522.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life And Times At Smithsonian American Art Museum On May 2 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: John McCain Voted to Save the GOP Health Care Bill. Then He Bashed It twitter:description: "It’s a shell of a bill right now, we all know that" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04f2206b90c2e8b2/6988cd96cf40a87b8dc47b57/gettyimages-6768562522.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # John McCain Voted to Save the GOP Health Care Bill. Then He Bashed It > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 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. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### 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. by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Jul 25, 2017 8:00 PM UTC  Sen. John McCain speaks at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, May 2, 2017 in Washington. Sen. John McCain speaks at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, May 2, 2017 in Washington. Paul Morigi—WS Productions/Getty Images by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Jul 25, 2017 8:00 PM UTC [John McCain](http://time.com/4872245/senate-gop-health-care-vote-mccain/), in his return to the Senate chamber following a [brain cancer diagnosis](http://time.com/4865775/john-mccain-brain-cancer-tumor-glioblastoma/), vowed not to vote for the Republican health care bill in its current form, even as he salvaged the party’s drive to repeal Obamacare [by voting in favor of opening debate](http://time.com/4872721/health-care-vote-senate-process/) on the legislation. “I will not vote for this bill as it is today,” McCain said before his fellow senators said with direct emphasis on each word. “It’s a shell of a bill right now, we all know that.” The Arizona Republican did in fact vote for what’s known as the motion to proceed, allowing it to pass thanks to a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence. But he said that “changes urged by my states’ governor will have to be included to earn my support for final passage of any bill.” Throughout his speech, McCain urged lawmakers to come together and make progress on policy rather than engage in partisan squabbles influenced by the “bombastic loudmouths on the radio, television and the internet.” “To hell with them,” he said. “They don’t want anything done for the public good. Our incapacity is their livelihood. Let’s trust each other,” adding that the only thing the Senate has accomplished in 2017 is [confirming Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.](http://time.com/4732973/neil-gorsuch-sworn-in-supreme-court/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4873455/john-mccain-health-care-vote-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4873455/john-mccain-health-care-vote-speech/"},"headline":"John McCain Voted to Save the GOP Health Care Bill. 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