The Republican agenda is currently hanging in the air. According to The Washington Post, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needs Sen. John McCain's votes to pass a bill that will repeal the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. But there's one small problem—the Senate reconvened, but McCain is at home, recovering from a surgery to remove a blood clot from his left eye. He's not in any kind of shape to take a vote.
So, now that they've decided not to vote until he gets back, what happens? Democrats in Congress are urging Republicans to hold public hearings on the bill in the meantime, to have more voices heard. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote: “This will allow members to hear unfiltered and unbiased analysis of how the bill will affect their states and the health and financial security of the constituents they represent."
Schumer also wants a more complete analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) while everyone waits. If you don't remember, the CBO already reported that over 22 million more Americans would be uninsured by 2026 under the bill. More analysis will likely uncover more issues with the bill, which will make it even more difficult to pass.
ABC went into more detail about McCain's condition, saying he had a blood clot "in a minimally invasive craniotomy with an eyebrow incision." A family friend told ABC that they "had heard McCain would need three weeks to recover from the surgery."
It's not looking great for the GOP's attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare.