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VICE News

Republicans Killed the Obamacare Repeal They Never Wanted to Pass

In a dramatic vote, early Friday morning, Sen. John McCain and two other Republican Senators voted no, killing the amendment 51-49.

Congress slipped through the looking glass and entered Wonderland Thursday when dozens of senators voted "yes" on a healthcare bill they prayed wouldn't pass. Still, the so-called "skinny repeal," which would have scrapped Republican's least favorite parts of Obamacare, ultimately failed in a dramatic vote early Friday morning.

After conferring with their colleagues on the floor in front of CSPAN's cameras, prompting a wave of public speculation about their body language, Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine all voted no around 1:30 AM, killing the amendment 51-49. All 48 Democrats voted no. "So yes, this is a disappointment. A disappointment indeed," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor following the vote, seeming to hold back tears. "I imagine many of our colleagues on the other side are celebrating, probably pretty happy about all of this," he added. Continue reading on VICE News.