WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado joined with most of his fellow Republicans early Friday that even some GOP lawmakers admitted was a strategy only meant to open negotiations with the House.
Three Republicans joined with every Democrat, including Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, to reject the measure, which would have unwound a handful of the ACA’s taxes and levies, including a fine on most Americans who don’t buy health insurance.
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U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) (2nd R) waits for the beginning of a meeting with President Donald Trump at the East Room of the White House June 27, 2017 in Washington, D.C. President Trump invited all GOP Senate members to the White House to discuss the Health Care bill.
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Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., speaks during a weekly press conference following a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
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Vice President Mike Pence and others listen as President Donald Trump speaks during an event about healthcare, Monday, July 24, 2017, in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington.
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. walks from the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, as he steers the Senate toward a crucial vote on the Republican health care bill.
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Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, as the Senate was to vote on moving head on health care with the goal of erasing much of Barack Obama's law.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., together with Democratic Senators, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., right, speaks to supporters outside the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, after the Senate voted to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama health care law.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., together with other Democratic Senators, from second from left, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., speaks to supporters outside the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, after the Senate voted to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama health care law.
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Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined at right by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is surrounded by reporters as they arrive on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, before a test vote on the Republican health care bill.
J. Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. answers questions from reporters as he arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, before a test vote on the Republican health care bill. The bill has faced opposition and challenges within the Republican ranks, including by Paul.
In this image from video provided by C-SPAN2, the final Senate vote, with Vice President Mike Pence's vote, to start debate to tear down much of the Obama health care law, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, on the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Andrew Harnik, The Associated Press
Vice President Mike Pence, center, and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, left, arrive on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, for the Senate vote on health care legislation.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, center, is followed by reporters as she arrives to vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Murkowski voted no, and Vice President Mike Pence then broke a 50-50 tie to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama health care law.
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U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) (2nd R) waits for the beginning of a meeting with President Donald Trump at the East Room of the White House June 27, 2017 in Washington, D.C. President Trump invited all GOP Senate members to the White House to discuss the Health Care bill.
A key vote to defeat the measure , R-Ariz., who this week after receiving a diagnosis of brain cancer.
The final vote was 49-51. Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined McCain in voting no.
Following the vote, President Donald Trump saying, “3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down.”
3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Senate Republicans have been unable to come to agreement on how they want to dismantle the ACA — also known as Obamacare — and the overnight vote was a last-ditch effort to keep momentum on their seven-year pledge to reverse President Barack Obama’s signature health care law.
Gardner has said little in the months leading up to this week’s debate on health care, but this week in every major vote related to the repeal effort.
Left unaltered, would have had a dramatic effect on Colorado, including the loss of insurance coverage for an 269,000 state residents, according to . Doing away with the mandate to buy coverage also had worried insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield that it would shatter the individual market.
For weeks, Senate Democrats have complained about both the bill-writing process and its substance.
Following the vote, Bennet saying, “While this is a win for tonight, we cannot be complacent.”
