Cotton: Vote Possible Next Week on Senate Healthcare Reform

Senators will "stay until the cows come home" to get a vote on healthcare reform, with a goal set for next week, Sen. Tom Cotton said Wednesday.

"Hopefully we are all moving in the right direction, which is voting yes on legislation that's going to give relief to the American people from Obamacare, [which has] been a disaster," the Arkansas Republican told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "It caused premiums to skyrocket and given less choice to Americans. We'll see where everybody is when the chips are down next week."

Work is continuing to shape the Republicans' bill in order to send it out for evaluation by the Congressional Business Office, said Cotton, including adding more money to address the nation's opioid addiction issue and for allowing customers to use their health savings accounts to pay for their premiums.

Those are two steps Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced, said Cotton. On Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican pushed back the start of the Senate's August recess by two weeks to allow work on the bill to continue.

Cotton, meanwhile, said he finds himself "cautiously pessimistic" that there will be enough votes to pass the Republicans' plan.

Also on Wednesday, the senator continued his criticism of the Iran nuclear agreement, saying the country is not complying with the deal reached during the Obama administration.

"Iran is the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism," said Cotton. "They are keeping more advanced centrifuges and water essential to bomb production, and they are still testing ballistic missiles and other steps."

In addition, the law requires President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to certify the deal is in the United States' vital national security issues, said Cotton.

"I simply wouldn't certify that if I was the secretary of state," Cotton said. "This is not in the vital national security interests. It undermines those interests."

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