Her remarks came in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” program, in which the senator reiterated her opposition to the latest legislation from Republican leaders, revealed July 13, and discussed whether she believes the bill could pass.
“There are about eight to 10 Republican senators who have serious concerns about this bill, and so at the end of the day I don’t know whether it will pass. But I do know this: We should not be making fundamental changes in a vital safety-net program that’s been on the books for 50 years — the Medicaid program — without having a single hearing to evaluate what the consequences are going to be,” Ms. Collins said.
She added, “That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems with the Medicaid program that need to be addressed. It doesn’t mean that the ACA doesn’t have serious flaws — it does. But that’s why we need to go through the normal committee process and get input from people on both sides of the aisle.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had expected a Senate vote on the legislation this week. However, Mr. McConnell deferred the vote as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is recovering from a surgery. The bill would need at least 50 “yes” votes from Republicans for approval. In addition to Ms. Collins, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has also expressed opposition to the legislation, according to the report.
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