--- title: Health Care: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins Voted No description: Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were instrumental in blocking the "skinny repeal" effort canonical: https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-07-28T14:31:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T05:16:58.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Meet the Women Senators Who Helped Stop the Health Care Bill og:description: John McCain got all the attention, but they were instrumental as well. og:url: https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt447562f260d8c6dc/6988d787656a3f3919bd1079/collins_murkowski.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: collins_murkowski og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Meet the Women Senators Who Helped Stop the Health Care Bill twitter:description: John McCain got all the attention, but they were instrumental as well. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt447562f260d8c6dc/6988d787656a3f3919bd1079/collins_murkowski.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Meet the Women Senators Who Helped Stop the Health Care Bill > 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. 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=bb279738-2338-4e6e-a997-ebe48f5f3fa3&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 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=bb279738-2338-4e6e-a997-ebe48f5f3fa3&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=bb279738-2338-4e6e-a997-ebe48f5f3fa3&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, 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. ## Video: Republicans Tell Trump to Come Clean on Possible Comey Tapes [Watch (HLS stream): Republicans Tell Trump to Come Clean on Possible Comey Tapes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3tPCx9mb.m3u8) (1:24)  _Published 2017-06-12. Fellow Republicans pressed President Donald Trump on Sunday to come clean about whether he has tapes of private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey and provide them to Congress if he does._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:16 AM UTCPublished: Jul 28, 2017 2:31 PM UTC  Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) walk to the Senate floor to vote on the health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 27, 2017. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) walk to the Senate floor to vote on the health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 27, 2017.Collins: Aaron P. Bernstein—Reuters; Murkowski: Yuri Gripas—Reuters by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:16 AM UTCPublished: Jul 28, 2017 2:31 PM UTC Sen. John McCain of Arizona’s vote against the “skinny repeal” of Obamacare may have been the most dramatic, but the objections of Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine had already put the bill’s fate in jeopardy. The Senate’s Republican women, including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, had been left out of the initial drafting process and derailed the Majority Leader’s mid-July effort to repeal Obamacare in order to replace it further down the road. While Capito ultimately voted for the bill, Murkowski and Collins held firm on Friday morning and, along with McCain, joined with Democrats to kill the bill. Here’s who they are. ## Sen. Lisa Murkowski Lisa Murkowski has been a U.S. Senator since 2002, when she was appointed to finish out her father Frank’s term when he was elected governor of the state. She ran for the seat in 2004 and won, but in 2010 she lost the GOP primary to a Tea Party challenger. But ultimately, Murkowski beat both the Tea Party and Democratic candidates and became the [first successful write-in candidate](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-elections-murkowski-idUSTRE6AG51C20101118) since South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond in 1954\. She won reelection in 2016. Murkowski has been wary of the process to replace the Affordable Care Act since it began. She has said she [could not support a bill that did not expand coverage and left costs high](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/28/16054700/senate-obamacare-repeal-john-mccain-susan-collins-lisa-murkowski), but was largely concerned with the approach to Medicaid. She was also against including cuts to Planned Parenthood in a repeal measure. According to the Alaska [_Dispatch News_](https://www.adn.com/politics/2017/07/11/lisa-murkowski-isnt-happy-about-senate-health-care-negotiations/), a quarter of Alaskans receive health coverage via the entitlement program. In July, Murkowski said that while some Alaskans had told her that she should “stick with the president,” most wanted her to put her state’s citizens first. “Almost without exception, it was, ‘Please Lisa. Protect Alaska’s interests,” _the Dispatch News_ reports she said. “Help us with ensuring that the most vulnerable are cared for, and that when it comes to the access issues that we face, the costs that we face, that you can help us address these.'” Murkowski vocalized her displeasure with the secretive Obamacare repeal process in late June, [telling an _Independent Journal Review_ reporter](https://twitter.com/byrdinator/status/877875172874883072) that she had not seen a draft of the bill because she is “not a reporter and I’m not a lobbyist.” She, along with Sens. Collins and Capito of West Virginia, later came out against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s plan to immediately repeal the Affordable Care Act, but hold off on replacing it, [effectively killing ](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/7/18/15991020/3-gop-women-tank-obamacare-repeal)that effort. Her opposition to the health care plan made her a target of President Donald Trump, who tweeted that she had “really let the Republicans, and our country, down” when she voted against a motion that led to the Friday morning vote. The administration also reportedly called Murkowski and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan [threatening that there would be consequences](https://www.adn.com/politics/2017/07/26/trump-administration-signals-that-murkowskis-health-care-vote-could-have-energy-repercussions-for-alaska/) over her position on the repeal. ## Sen. Susan Collins Susan Collins, of Maine, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 and was last reelected in 2014\. She will be up for reelection again in 2020, though she is said to be seriously considering a run for governor of Maine. It would be her second time vying for the governorship—she lost to independent Sen. Angus King in 1994. Collins has said she could not support the Obamacare repeal because of the impact it would have had on Americans seeking coverage. “I can’t support a bill that will greatly increase premiums for our older Americans,” Collins told [MSNBC in June](http://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/sen-collins-i-can-t-support-bill-that-takes-health-insurance-away-973935683875). “I cannot support a bill that is going to result in tens of millions of people losing their health insurance.” The Maine Republican was also dismayed by the deep cuts to Medicaid that had been proposed under the repeal legislation and the impact it would have on vulnerable citizens including disabled children and poor seniors.”We should not be making fundamental changes in a vital safety net program that’s been on the books for 50 years … without evaluating what the consequences will be,” she said on [_CNN_‘s State of the Union. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ%5FDnWLScu0) In a lengthy statement issued Friday, Collins explained the many reasons [why she voted against the measures, ](https://www.collins.senate.gov/sites/default/files/2017-07-27%20Skinny%20Bill%20Statement.pdf)including her opposition to proposals that would have stripped funding from Planned Parenthood. “Let me be clear that this is not about abortion,” she said. This is about interfering with the ability of a woman to choose the health care provider who is right for her. This harmful provision should have no place in legislation that purports to be about restoring patient choices and freedom. Like Murkowski, Collins faced threats as a result of her position on the repeal. The [Associated Press](https://www.apnews.com/aa59b766a4294989a62c922112580af7/The-Latest:-Lawmaker-blames-female-senators-for-failed-bill?utm%5Fcampaign=SocialFlow&utm%5Fsource=Twitter&utm%5Fmedium=AP%5FPolitics) reported Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold complained about the opposition the repeal effort had faced from “some female Senators from the northeast.” During a radio interview, he reportedly said, “if it was a guy from south Texas, I might ask him to step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style.” She was later [caught on a hot mic discussing the threat](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/07/25/senators-on-hot-mic-trump-is-crazy-im-worried/?utm%5Fterm=.0486a33f7dd9), with a Senate colleague telling her he thinks she could “beat the s–t” out of the Representative. “Well, he’s huge,” she said in response. “And he — I don’t mean to be unkind, but he’s so unattractive it’s unbelievable.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/"},"headline":"Meet the Women Senators Who Helped Stop the Health Care Bill","datePublished":"2017-07-28T14:31:35.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-13T05:16:58.000Z","description":"Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were instrumental in blocking the \"skinny repeal\" effort","url":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/","keywords":["Congress","Health Care","Affordable Care Act","John McCain","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt447562f260d8c6dc/6988d787656a3f3919bd1079/collins_murkowski.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt447562f260d8c6dc/6988d787656a3f3919bd1079/collins_murkowski.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"collins_murkowski","caption":"collins_murkowski","creditText":"Collins: Aaron P. Bernstein—Reuters; Murkowski: Yuri Gripas—Reuters","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":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/","name":"Meet the Women Senators Who Helped Stop the Health Care Bill"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Lisa Murkowski Reacts to Trump's Tweet about Her Health Care Vote","description":"Lisa Murkowski talked about her reactions to Donald Trump's tweet about her voting \"no\" on the Senate health care bill.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/X9iBJIug/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-07-27T04:26:35.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/X9iBJIug.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/","duration":"PT39S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Republicans Tell Trump to Come Clean on Possible Comey Tapes","description":"Fellow Republicans pressed President Donald Trump on Sunday to come clean about whether he has tapes of private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey and provide them to Congress if he does.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/3tPCx9mb/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-06-12T12:54:26.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3tPCx9mb.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/","duration":"PT1M24S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```