GOP Seeking Votes in Last-Ditch Attempt to End ACA.
BLITZER: On Capitol Hill right now, Republican leaders are pushing very hard to round up the last few votes they need to jam through a bill repealing key parts of Obamacare. There may be another showdown vote on the Senate floor sometime next week. Let's go to CNN's Ryan Nobles. He's up on Capitol Hill for us. Ryan, break down where the vote stands and which senators are the key swing votes.</s>RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. Essentially, we are right back where we were about a month ago. And in this round of repeal and replace of Obamacare, it's the same group of about four senators who will make or break the chances of this bill passing. We know that Senator Rand Paul is a no. Senator Susan Collins of Maine told us today that she's undecided but is certainly leaning in the "no" direction. That means Republicans request not afford to lose any more votes, and they are focusing on heavily on John McCain of Arizona and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. To that effort, today senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, who are the coauthors of the legislation, took their show on the road, shopping their plan in a number of Senate offices today. They spent a bulk of their time of the office of Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. They met there with Sullivan trying to pitch them that this plan is not only good for the United States but will specifically be good for the people of Alaska. After that meeting Lindsey Graham emerged and seemed confident about the bill's chances. Take a listen.</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: And we're at a point where we're going to take the bill up next week. And to my Republican colleagues, if you've got a better idea, now is the time to come forward.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are taking the bill up next week?</s>GRAHAM: Absolutely. We're going to go to the floor with a repeal and replace proposal that is federalism.</s>NOBLES: Now, of course, Senator Lindsey Graham is not the senator that decides whether or not these bills get to the floor, but he did get somewhat support from the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell that said in a statement today that they have every intention of bringing, at who this bill to the floor. But, Wolf, there's a big difference g having intention to to the floor, and actually scheduling it. Many believe that's not going to happen until they are sure they have 50 votes ready to go. The White House today hopeful that Lindsey Graham can convince his very good friend John McCain to get on board this this plan. And they're also hopeful that this last-minute pitch to the pair of senators from Alaska will be enough to get this bill to the finish line. But Wolf, just like the last time around, we won't know anything until these votes are finally cast -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Got to be cast by next week, September 30 is the deadline. Ryan Nobles, up on Capitol Hill. Thanks very much. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers, they're plotting their own strategy to try to stop this latest Republic effort to end Obamacare. Let's get some perspective from Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. As you know, after next week, Republicans, Senator, will lose their shot to repeal Obamacare with a simple majority. It seems like it's coming down to the wire next week. So what can Democrats do? Are you planning any procedural steps, for example, to try to block this?</s>SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: We are preparing and planning to use every tool and tactic available to us, because we are on the precipice of one of the most cruel and outrageous legislative acts in recent history. And what's missing here is the real voices and real faces that I've seen just over the last 24 hours here in Connecticut when I've met with cancer survivors, when I've talked on the floor of the United States Senate about a young man who suffers from muscular dystrophy and whose care would be threatened. And the attempt to do, at the 11th hour, literally in the last seven days from this Friday, what they failed to do in the last seven years, this obsession with repeal and replace, it's a sequel to the horror movie we went through, a bad sequel, meaner and crueler. It would end Medicaid as we know it, deprive millions of people of health care, and raise premiums for almost everyone who depends on these programs like Medicare and Medicaid. And so I think that these kinds of efforts have to be defeated. And we will resort to all the tools and tactics that we have available.</s>BLITZER: It's going to be a very, very close vote, by all accounts. Senator, I want you to stand by. We're also learning of a new report from "The Washington Post" the former Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort -- Manafort offered an influential Russia billionaire what are described as private briefings on the 2016 campaign. We're following the breaking news, Senator. We'll discuss that and more right after this quick break.