As the Senate prepares to vote on the Graham-Cassidy bill next week, the bill's sponsors have been working hard to lobby holdouts who voted against Republican healthcare efforts in July, according to CNN.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., along with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, sided with Democrats to vote down the "skinny" repeal bill 51 to 49 in July. Mr. McCain is a good friend of Mr. Graham's, but has been critical of the hurried drafting process for the new bill, and repeated his calls for regular legislative order that he first made during Republican healthcare efforts in July. Gov. Doug Ducey, R-Ariz., has publicly supported the bill, though it is yet unclear if this support will sway Mr. McCain.
Mr. Graham and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., held a private meeting with Mr. McCain, Ms. Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Wednesday to try and convince them to vote for the proposal. Though the Congressional Budget Office will not be able to provide a score for the bill before it is brought to a vote, Republican leadership does not think the office's analysis is necessary to consider the legislation. However, the CBO does hope to provide a bare-bones analysis early next week.
"We have more than enough information," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a co-sponsor of the bill. "We've been highly disappointed in how CBO has really conducted themselves throughout this healthcare process."
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