Former Vice President Joe Biden personally lobbied Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) before the senator cast a crucial vote taking down a Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, according to The Washington Post.
The call between the two was emotional, according to the Post. McCain was recently diagnosed with the same kind of brain cancer that Biden’s son Beau died of in 2015. Joe Biden served in the Senate from 1972 until 2008, while McCain has been a senator since 1987.
While Biden lobbied McCain, former President Barack Obama remained quiet on the issue as the Senate was on the verge of dismantling a core piece of his legacy (An Obama spokesman did release a statement after the Republican effort failed on Friday.).
Former Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), a close friend of McCain, also lobbied him to oppose the bill, according to the Post.
McCain joined Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) to kill a GOP effort to eliminate key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans had hoped that by passing the bill, they could begin conference negotiations with the House over the lower chamber’s legislation to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.
President Donald Trump used Twitter Saturday morning to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to eliminate a 60-vote threshold to advance legislation. The health care bill, however, only needed a simple majority of 51 votes to pass, which Republicans couldn’t muster.
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