In the early hours of Friday morning, Majority Leader McConnell failed to get any of his three Obamacare Repeal bills through the Senate. This has come after weeks of pressure from both sides–the Right wanting complete repeal and replace, while the Left wants to keep the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better know as Obamacare. A handful of Republican Senators spoke out against the bill, but only two voted NO throughout.

Senator Murkowski and Senator Collins

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Senator Susan Collins of Maine stood strong throughout the process to vote NO on every measure related to this healthcare fight.

Murkowski and Collins both voted NO on the motion to proceed, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), and the Obamacare Reconciliation Act (ORA). Even though these Senators both voted against all of this, along with every Democrat, they were one vote shy of stopping it.

Where was the Republican opposition?

They did not receive the opposition needed on the motion to proceed even from Senator John McCain or Senator Dean Heller, both of whom said earlier that they opposed the bill. Thus, the bill went forward and Senator McConnell was able to essentially offer up three bills to be voted on.

When the BCRA and the ORA came up for a vote, more Republican senators voted NO. All of this leads to the final vote on the so called "skinny repeal" and republicans last chance to get a bill through the Senate.

In comes Senator John McCain

Senator John McCain from Arizona has had some rough days recently, from going into emergency surgery to get a blood clot above the eye taken out to learning of his aggressive cancer.

When McCain voted to save the reform of health care, Democrats seemed lost.

So it's over? Did they pass the bill?

Not quite. It didn't take long for Democrats to get optimistic. Sen. McCain delivered an amazing speech after the vote about how the Senate needs to return to its ideals. Basically, he was calling out the entire Republican Party for how they have treated healthcare reform.

During his speech, he said he would not vote for a bill that did not include specific requests that he received from his governor.

What finally happened?

In the end, every measure Republican's tried to pass failed, including the so called "skinny repeal." It came down to senator john mccain's vote who, in epic fashion, sealed the bill's fate with a NO vote. Watch as confusion and relief sweep the Senate chambers. Many critics were worried McCain wouldn't keep his word, but he followed through.

John McCain gets the press, but Murkowski and Collins took the biggest risk.

In the end, McCain will be crowned the hero who saved us from the Republican healthcare reform, but without the brave Senators Murkowski and Collins, none of this would have been possible. America narrowly avoided kicking between 32 million and 16 million people off of health insurance, and we should thank Senators Murkowski, Collins, and McCain equally.
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