Two more GOP senators oppose health bill, raising total to nine

The announcement came only a few hours after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided to delay a planned vote on the health bill by this week.

Other Republicans opposed are Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Ted Cruz of Texas, Dean Heller of Nevada, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Portman and Capito’s opposition isn’t a surprise as both declined to support the bill since its release on Thursday. They also both come from states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.

Portman said that he has “real concerns about the Medicaid policies in this bill, especially those that impact drug treatment at a time when Ohio is facing an opioid epidemic.” Capito said that the bill doesn’t do enough to fight the opioid crisis and “cuts traditional Medicaid too deeply.”

The bill cuts more than $700 billion from Medicaid over a decade, according to an updated estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. It also provides about $2 billion to fight the opioid crisis.

Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, said during a press conference Tuesday that the $2 billion isn’t anywhere near enough money.

The bill keeps Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in place but eventually, draws down federal funding starting in 2020. The bill then converts Medicaid to either a funding scheme where states get a fixed amount of money or money per Medicaid beneficiary.

The CBO said in an updated score of the bill that it will cause 22 million people to go without insurance over the next 10 years compared to current law. However, many of them would voluntarily leave once the insurance mandate went away.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans that he doesn’t have the votes for the bill now and that he will delay a vote on it until after the July 4 recess. McConnell had hoped to get a vote by the end of this week.