Washington Free Beacon staff writer Elizabeth Harrington told Fox Business Network's Charles Payne on Monday that she expects the GOP's new health care bill to pass "at the last minute."
Harrington appeared on Payne's show, "Making Money," to discuss the possibility of the Senate passing the repeal-and-replace bill proposed by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R., La.).
"This morning, everyone sort of wrote this off," Payne said of the bill. "Then all of a sudden, as the day went on, I'm reading it's one vote short."
"Exactly. I think the big momentum push here was Arizona Governor Ducey, who gave his support to this bill, which actually gives John McCain a pass," Harrington said. "He can support this bill now because all along he said, 'if my governor supports it, I'll definitely take a look.' And he's the real important vote here, because he's the one that killed it the last time."
In July, McCain voted against Senate Republicans' so-called "skinny" repeal of Obamacare, joining fellow GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), as well as every Senate Democrat, to defeat the bill.
"I don't think Republicans should really waste their time expecting to get Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski on board," Harrington said. "McCain's the key, and I think Rand Paul's also the key to get this through. And they're very close, which everyone said it was dead, and here they've got some momentum going."
Sen. Paul (R., Ky.) has already tweeted his opposition to Graham and Cassidy's proposed bill. But Harrington remained optimistic about the bill's ultimate fate.
"Elizabeth," Payne asked later in the interview, "does it pass?"
"I think it does. I think it does. At the last minute," Harrington said.
"It better," said co-host Jillian Melchior.
"Yeah, they better," Harrington agreed.