Republican Sen. John McCain announces opposition to health care bill, dashing hopes for GOP leaders

WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. John McCain announced his opposition to the Graham-Cassidy health care bill Friday, dashing hopes for GOP leaders who wanted to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

McCain said he has repeatedly warned GOP leaders that he is unhappy with the process of getting Graham-Cassidy to the floor, requesting committees, hearings and debate before voting.

McCain released a statement Friday:

"I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal. I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried. Nor could I support it without knowing how much it will cost, how it will effect insurance premiums, and how many people will be helped or hurt by it. Without a full CBO score, which won't be available by the end of the month, we won't have reliable answers to any of those questions."

McCain is a long-time friend of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who introduced the bill with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.