--- title: Senators to Watch With Graham-Cassidy Bill on Life Support description: Congress is facing a looming vote on repealing Obamacare that will be decided by a handful of key Republicans. Here are 5 senators to watch. canonical: https://time.com/4955791/graham-cassidy-republican-mccain/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-25T18:39:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:53:33.418Z article:section: Politics og:title: Obamacare Repeal Is on Life Support. These 5 Senators Could Decide Its Fate og:description: The bill faces a Sept. 30 deadline og:url: https://time.com/4955791/graham-cassidy-republican-mccain/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdb07bbbe2d945843/6988df2acf40a848fbc4986a/gettyimages-849623716.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5165 og:image:height: 2905 og:image:alt: Senate Policy Luncheons og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Obamacare Repeal Is on Life Support. These 5 Senators Could Decide Its Fate twitter:description: The bill faces a Sept. 30 deadline twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdb07bbbe2d945843/6988df2acf40a848fbc4986a/gettyimages-849623716.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Obamacare Repeal Is on Life Support. These 5 Senators Could Decide Its Fate > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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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=e8a78c7e-2823-49c6-85c1-f5cc2e6be605&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Barack Obama Criticizes '50th or 60th' Attempt to Repeal the Affordable Care Act [Watch (HLS stream): Barack Obama Criticizes '50th or 60th' Attempt to Repeal the Affordable Care Act](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/g2ignFJZ.m3u8) (2:05)  _Published 2017-09-20. Barack Obama waded into the debate on healthcare Tuesday, sharply criticizing Republicans' last-ditch attempts to repeal his signature legislative achievement._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Sep 25, 2017 6:39 PM UTC by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Sep 25, 2017 6:39 PM UTC Once again, Congress is facing [a looming vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act](http://time.com/4955479/obamacare-repeal-replace/) that will be decided by a handful of key Republicans. As the Senate decides on [the Graham-Cassidy bill](http://time.com/4951982/graham-cassidy-cbo-score-obamacare/) this week, just three Republican senators would be enough to kill the bill’s chances, and doom GOP’s best chance to overturn the bill on a simple majority vote before a Sept. 30 deadline. With several Republicans expressing [concern and even opposition](http://time.com/4955076/ted-cruz-graham-cassidy-health-care-repeal/) to the bill, its future looks uncertain. On Monday, Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana put forward a revised version in an attempt to sway some holdouts. According to analyses of the bill from multiple media outlets, the revised bill would give more funding to Alaska, Kentucky, Maine and Arizona, home states of some of the key votes. Here are five senators to watch as the debate unfolds this week: ## John McCain In late July, the Arizona Republican joined Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in voting against an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Last week, McCain released a statement saying [he could not vote in favor of Graham-Cassidy ](http://time.com/4953920/health-care-john-mccain-graham-cassidy-vote/)— not because he necessarily disagrees with the contents of the proposal, but because of the process used to write it. “I would consider supporting legislation similar to that offered by my friends Senators Graham and Cassidy were it the product of extensive hearings, debate and amendment,” McCain said in a statement. “But that has not been the case.” Those objections are pretty hard for the bill’s sponsors to address. While policy differences could be ironed out with some last-minute amendments, there’s simply not enough time left for the bill to be considered under the type of hearings and bipartisan involvement that McCain’s preferred “regular order” would require. ## Sen. Susan Collins In the early days of the skinny repeal process, [Collins and Murkowski](http://time.com/4877922/health-care-vote-senate-skinny-repeal-murkowski-collins/) expressed their opposition for the bill because of the effects it would have on millions of Americans set to lose coverage and cuts to Planned Parenthood funding. Collins has again emerged as a key figure in the fate of the latest repeal attempt. Collins signaled last week that she was “leaning against” voting for the measure. On Sunday, she told [CNN’s Jake Tapper](http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/susan-collins-graham-cassidy-decision/index.html) it was “very difficult for me to envision a scenario where I would end up voting for this bill.” “I’m concerned about the impact on cost and coverage,” Collins said. “We already have a problem under the Affordable Care act with the cost of premiums and deductibles, and finally, I’m very concerned about the erosion of protections for people with pre-existing conditions.” She also said she would like to see a [Congressional Budget Office](https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/912339170332413952) analysis of the bill, parts of which are expected on Monday. ## Lisa Murkowski Murkowski has been mum about how she plans to vote for the bill, but officials in her home state of Alaska have been vocal about the effects it would have on its citizens. In an interview with the [New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/politics/mccain-graham-cassidy-health-care.html), independent Gov. Bill Walker said his state would not fare well under the legislation. Walker also [signed on to a letter](https://www.facebook.com/Governor.BillWalker/photos/a.1498981803723881.1073741828.1494136594208402/1942368829385174/?type=3) calling on Congress to take a bipartisan approach to health care. “Alaska would fare very, very poorly. Nothing has been brought to my attention that would increase my comfort level,” Walker told the _Times_. Alaska’s [Department of Health and Social Services](http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/DHSS-releases-preliminary-analysis-into-Graham-Cassidys-impact-on-Alaska-446913713.html) also found that Alaska would see federal funding fall by 65% between 2020 and 2026 under the proposal. Senators, however, are still hoping to sway Murkowski toward voting in favor of the bill — the revised version includes carve outs that would help her state: it would ensure Native Alaskans could keep Medicaid coverage after the program is curbed in 2020\. While Alaska ending the Medicaid expansion would mean a loss of federal dollars for Alaska, the revised bill would guarantee a [3% increase in federal funds](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4059776-Graham-Cassidy-State-by-State-Impact.html) to the state over current levels. ## Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul was among the first Senators to express opposition for the Graham-Cassidy bill. For the Kentucky Republican, the legislation does not go far enough in ending the Affordable Care Act. “I won’t vote for Obamacare Lite that keeps 90% of the taxes & spending just so some people can claim credit for something that didn’t happen,” Paul tweeted on Sept. 22. > [](https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/911193005578752000) _The Hill_ reported Monday the Senator outlined additional steps the Senate would have to take in order for him to support the bill including a “reassessment” of money he says would not be spent if the Affordable Care Act were completely repealed. “Graham/Cassidy keeps and redistributes/spends over a trillion dollars,” Paul said, according to a [document provided to the _Hill_](http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/352245-paul-outlines-demands-for-yes-vote-on-graham-cassidy-bill). “This is the primary obstacle to my support, and only a significant reassessment of this trillion-dollar spending regime would get my support.” The revised version of the bill would offer a [4% boost in federal funding to Kentucky](https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4059776-Graham-Cassidy-State-by-State-Impact.html). The carve outs for specific states are also a tough sell for some Republicans, who were critical when similar provisions were added to — and then taken out of — the Affordable Care Act to win support. ## Ted Cruz In a surprising twist, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas expressed opposition to the repeal bill on Sunday, a position that had not changed by Monday afternoon. At the [Texas _Tribune_ Festival in Austin](https://twitter.com/TexasTribune/status/911965247321260038), Cruz said that while he was working to get to “yes” on Graham-Cassidy, his vote has not yet been secured. “Right now, they don’t have my vote, and I don’t think they have \[Utah Senator\] Mike Lee’s either,” Cruz said. “If you want prices to go down — Econ 101, you want prices to go down, you want more choices, more options, more competition, and prices fall,” said Cruz. “What does Obamacare do? Fewer choices, less options, less competition, prices rise. If you want people to have access to health insurance, you want prices to fall.” Despite changes in the revised version that could be palatable for the conservative, [Axios ](https://www.axios.com/cruz-still-a-no-on-graham-cassidy-2489454122.html)and the [_Hill_](http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/health-reform-implementation/352266-cruz-still-a-no-on-obamacare-repeal-bill) report Cruz’s position had not changed on Monday, but Cruz once led a government shutdown with the goal of forcing the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, so it’s possible he could swallow his objections and vote for Graham-Cassidy. ## Transcript For the first time, more than 90 % of Americans know the security of health insurance. Paying more for insurance or being denied insurance because of a pre- existing condition or because you are a woman, that's not a thing anymore. We got rid of that. And people are alive today because of it, and that's progress. Now [ BLANK_AUDIO ] The legislation that we passed was full of things that still need to be fixed. It wasn't perfect. But it was better. And so when I see people trying to undo that hard won progress. For the 50th or 60th time [ LAUGH ] With bills that would raise cost, or reduce coverage, or roll back protections for older Americans, or people with preexisting conditions. The cancer survivor, the expecting mom, or the child with autism, or asthma. For whom coverage, once again, would be almost unattainable. It is aggravating. And all of this being done without any demonstrable, economic or actuarial? Or plain common sense rationale. It frustrates and it's certainly frustrating to have to mobilize every couple of months to keep Our leaders from inflicting real human suffering on our constituents. But typically that's how progress is won, and how progress is maintained on every issue. We have to stand up for each other, recognize that progress is never inevitable. That it often can be fragile. It's a need of constant renewal and our individual progress and our collected progress depends on our willingness to roll up our sleeves and work. [ APPLAUSE ] And not be afraid to work. [ APPLAUSE ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4955791/graham-cassidy-republican-mccain/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4955791/graham-cassidy-republican-mccain/"},"headline":"Obamacare Repeal Is on Life Support. These 5 Senators Could Decide Its Fate","datePublished":"2017-09-25T18:39:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-08T09:53:33.418Z","description":"Congress is facing a looming vote on repealing Obamacare that will be decided by a handful of key Republicans. 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