Collins on healthcare bill: ‘I do need a complete overhaul to get to a yes’

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday said it will take a “complete overhaul” for her to support the Senate GOP’s healthcare bill.

“It was really interesting being back home last week because the one and only [thing] that came up, no matter where I was, time and again, was healthcare,” Collins, a critic of the healthcare bill, said during an interview with CNN.

“I do need a complete overhaul to get to a yes.”

{mosads}The Maine Republican added she thinks it’s important to work with Democrats on the legislation.

But she noted she is getting “conflicting signals” from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) about whether he really wants to work with Republicans.

“My hope is that we can avoid the mistake that President Obama made when he passed a major healthcare reform bill, the Affordable Care Act, without a single Republican vote,” she said.

“I don’t want to see us make the same mistake and pass an overhaul of the law without a single Democratic vote. We get far better legalization when both parties work in good faith to reach a solution.”

Her comments come as Senate Republicans are beginning to consider what to do if their healthcare bill fails to pass.

Lawmakers are largely divided over whether they should work with Democrats on a fix to the healthcare law or pass a straight repeal of the law and work on a replacement later.