Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) put off plans late Saturday to vote on a bill to overhaul the nations health-care system this week, after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced he would be at home recovering from surgery, leaving Republicans short of the votes they needed to advance the legislation.

McCain underwent surgery in Phoenixon Friday to remove a blood clot from above his left eye. On the advice of his doctors, Senator McCain will be recovering in Arizona next week, said McCain spokeswoman Julie Tarallo. A statement from the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix said the senator is resting at home in good condition and that the surgery went very well.

[Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval still doesnt support the Senate health-care bill. Thats big trouble for Republicans.]

In a statement Saturday night, McConnell said that while John is recovering, the Senate will continue our work on legislative items and nominations, and will defer consideration of the Better Care Act,

Unless at least one of two Republican senators dropped their opposition to moving ahead on the bill, or a vote was postponed until McCain returned, the billwould not havehad the support to proceed.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unveiled a revised GOP health-care proposal on July 13 but two other Republican senators released a competing plan. Here's how it all breaks down. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Two Republican senators Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan Collins (Maine) have said they will notvote yes to even proceed to the bill. Along with all 48 senators in the Democratic Caucus and without McCain their oppositionwould be enough to block the bill from proceeding to debate. There are 52 Republican senators.

Paul spokesman Sergio Gor said he still planned to vote against proceeding to the bill. A Collins spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The rest is here:

McConnell defers vote on Senate health-care bill as McCain recovers from surgery - Washington Post