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Their Obamacare replacement faltering, Republican leaders pitched a new plan to senators Tuesday: Gut as much of the law as they can now but delay its full effect so Congress will be forced to come up with a better alternative. 

The plan fell apart before lunchtime, underscoring deep rifts among Republicans and leaving the party’s seven-year pledge to scrap the Affordable Care Act in jeopardy. 

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan M. Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said they could not support the “repeal then replace” strategy because it would inject too much uncertainty into insurance markets, which already are reeling under Obamacare. 

“We can’t just hope that we will pass a replacement within the next two years,” said Ms. Collins, who was the only sitting Senate Republican to reject an identical plan in late 2015 before President Obama vetoed it. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, drafted — and then redrafted — an Obamacare replacement plan behind closed doors in recent weeks, yet it collapsed amid opposition from at least four Senate Republicans late Monday.