GOP abandons healthcare bill

WASHINGTON—Senate Republicans decided Tuesday to table their latest Obamacare repeal-and-replace effort after failing to secure enough votes. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., left his caucus lunch with a somber look on his face, saying, “Where we go from here is tax reform.” The latest push to overhaul the healthcare system, led by Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana had the full backing of the Trump administration but not enough support from Republican senators. Graham and Cassidy tweaked their bill multiple times over the last few weeks, but they failed to garner 50 votes from their colleagues. McConnell plans to let the current budget reconciliation window, which ends Saturday, close and use the next one to pass a Republican tax reform plan. Graham told reporters this does not mean Republicans have given up on healthcare: “There are 50 votes for the substance; there aren’t 50 votes for the process.” He explained the bill’s trajectory was too rushed for some of his colleagues such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to support. Graham claimed his healthcare bill could pass sometime next year after lawmakers get more time to study the legislation.