EFREM GRAHAM: The latest Republican effort

to repeal and replace Obamacare collapsed Monday

when two more Republican senators announced they

were not supporting the bill.

That means there are not enough votes to pass it.

Charlene Aaron has this story.

CHARLENE AARON: Senators Mike Lee

of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas

sealed the measure's doom late Monday

when each said they would vote no

in an initial critical vote that had been expected as soon as

next week.

Moran said, we should not put our stamp of approval

on bad policy.

The bill needed the support of at least 50%

of the Senate's 52 Republicans.

But with a total of four Republican senators

now declaring their no votes, the bill

appears to be dead on arrival.

On Sunday's Meet the Press, GOP Senator John Cornyn

said that if the current bill didn't work,

Republicans would have to try a different measure.

JOHN CORNYN: If we're not successful now,

I assume we'll keep trying.

But at some point, if Democrats won't participate

in the process, then we're going to have to come up

with a different plan.

CHARLENE AARON: For now, it appears

that different plan will be trying to simply get

rid of Obamacare now.

And working on a replacement that would come later.

Majority leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement

late Monday, in the coming days, the Senate

will vote to take up a repeal of Obamacare with a two year delay

to provide for a stable transition period

to a patient centered health care

system that gives Americans access to quality

affordable health care.

In a late night tweet, President Trump

echoed that sentiment, again calling on Republicans

to just repeal failing Obamacare now.

And work on a new health care plan

that will start from a clean slate.

Dems will join in.

But a straight repeal of Obamacare

could also have a tough time passing the Senate,

and would also have to get through the House

before it went to President Trump.

The failure also affects the president's tax cut plans

to strengthen the economy, because the White House

and Republicans had hoped to use the savings from repealing

Obamacare to help get tax cuts for businesses and individuals

through Congress.

Charlene Aaron, CBN News.