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Senator Ron Johnson: 'I can't imagine' voting yes on health care bill next week

Senator: Vote next week would be 'rushed'
Posted at 10:18 AM, Jun 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-21 11:43:11-04

Appearing on CNN's "New Day" with Chris Cuomo Wednesday morning, Republican Senator Ron Johnson appeared to indicate that he may not support the Senate's health care bill if a vote is held next week.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pushed for a vote as soon as next week so the bill can be passed by the end of June, according to NBC News.

"I've told [McConnell] unless I have the input from my constituents, unless I have got the information I need to justify a yes vote, I won't be voting yes," Johnson told Cuomo. You can watch his full appearance here, via The Hill.

Johnson's remarks make him one of the first Republican senators to publicly indicate some form of opposition to the bill - in this case, specifically when it comes to the legislation's speed of passage.

"What I've told leadership very clearly is I'm going to need time, and my constituents are going to need time to evaluate exactly how this is going to affect them. So I personally think holding a vote on this next week would definitely be rushed," the senator said.

"I can’t imagine, quite honestly, that I’d have the information to evaluate and justify a yes vote within just a week."

Johnson currently serves on the GOP working group that is drafting the Senate version of the American Health Care Act.