McCain: GOP will move next against health bill's taxes

Republicans will move soon to try removing new taxes from the Senate's healthcare bill, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Wednesday.

McCain told reporters that while debate on his amendment to restore Medicare cuts to the health legislation may last throughout today, the GOP will address taxes.

"It seems to me there's a lot of spirited debate going on," McCain said in reference to the floor debate Wednesday over his amendment, which would refer the health bill back to the Senate Finance Committee with instructions to restore cuts to Medicare.

"We may not have exhausted that," McCain said about the debate, about which he said he was unsure whether it would end today in time to allow a vote on his provision, the first Republican amendment offered to the health bill.

But once his amendment receives a vote, McCain said Republicans are looking next to offer amendments addressing the variety of taxes contained within the Senate bill.

"I think that one of the major issues will be taxes," McCain said of where the GOP would focus its amendments. "That will be part of our agenda really soon."

Republicans have bemoaned the taxes in the bill throughout the debate over the legislation. The opposition makes for strange bedfellows with some labor unions, as well, which have generally opposed the surtax on high-value insurance policies.

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