They already know it will fail, but Senate Republicans nonetheless are weighing whether to call a vote on the healthcare legislation to replace Obamacare, The Washington Post is reporting.
Though Sens. Rand Paul, John McCain, Susan Collins and Ted Cruz have all gone public with their intentions to vote against the latest iteration of the Graham-Cassidy legislation, pressure remains to press on.
"There are a lot of people who want to vote yes and be recorded as voting yes," Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican said to the Post. "I think there is some advantage to showing you're trying and doing the best you can."
That's what it has come to for Republicans on healthcare — an empty gesture.
"We are going to press on," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a primary co-sponsor of the bill along with Sen. Bill Cassidy. "It's OK to vote. It's OK to fall short, if you do, for an idea that you believe in."
The Republicans only can afford to lose two no votes; they're staring down at least those four.
"Everybody knows that's going to fail," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said Monday afternoon.
Republicans had faced a Saturday deadline — the end of the fiscal year — of being able to pass healthcare with a simple majority.