Paul, Collins state their cases on Graham-Cassidy
- Erica Pandey, author of Axios Finish Line
Sen. Lindsay Graham told ABC's This Week on Sunday that he thinks the Graham-Cassidy health care proposal will get the 50 votes needed to pass. And while Senators Rand Paul and Susan Collins reiterated that they're currently in the "no" column, Paul didn't rule out a "yes" vote on a modified bill.
Worth noting: President Trump said he's hopeful Paul will "come around" and vote yes on Graham-Cassidy at a Friday evening rally in Huntsville, Alabama, but Paul told NBC's Chuck Todd the bill is "a bad idea." Then he added: "If they narrow their focus to the things we all agree on ... sure I'd be for that."
But, but, but: Paul is opposed to the block grant system proposed in the bill, a centerpiece of the proposal. So he'd only vote "yes" on a much different bill.
Where things stand: Collins and John McCain are no's — they want bipartisan hearings. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted "no" on the last proposal and hasn't made her position public this time around, but a source told CNN's Jake Tapper they think she could be persuaded to vote support it. That leaves a sliver of hope for the GOP ahead of the September 30 deadline.