McCain returns to Senate amid applause, votes to repeal Obamacare

PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) made his return to the Senate on Tuesday to a round of applause from his colleagues.

NOW: Sen. John McCain returns to Senate floor for first time since cancer diagnosis to cast health care vote https://t.co/Okz2bwUl4f pic.twitter.com/7Ubr5Aoz5M

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 25, 2017

The senator landed just minutes before casting his yes vote on a bill that would eviscerate much of former President Barack Obama’s health care law.

JUST IN: John McCain returns to DC ahead of health care vote https://t.co/nxQipdDBrQ

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 25, 2017

In a 15-minute address on the Senate floor, McCain said he may have voted to remove Obamacare, but there was still a long road to health care reform.

“I will not vote for the bill as it is today,” he said. “It’s a shell of a bill right now. We all know that. I have changes urged by my state’s governor that will have to be included to earn my support for final passage of any bill. I know many of you will have to see the bill changed substantially for you to support it.”

McCain also criticized the recent practice of crafting the bill in closed-door meetings before demanding a vote. He called for Republicans to work across the aisle on the issue and not push it through on party lines as Democrats did with Obamacare.

“What have we to lose by trying to work together to find those solutions? We’re not getting much done apart,” he said.

“I don’t think any of us feels very proud of our incapacity. Merely preventing your political opponents from doing what they want isn’t the most inspiring work.”

At the beginning of his speech, McCain said it was good to be back at work in the nation’s capital.

“Make no mistake, my service here is the most important job I have had in my life,” he said. “And I am so grateful to the people of Arizona for the privilege – for the honor – of serving here and the opportunities it gives me to play a small role in the history of the country I love.”

McCain said he planned to be in D.C. for a few days before heading back to Arizona to treat his cancer but promised to be back.

“I have every intention of returning here and giving many of you cause to regret all the nice things you said about me,” he said with a smile.

Arizona’s junior senator, Jeff Flake, tweeted that he was glad to see McCain back on the Senate floor.

“Speaking on senate floor, [McCain] showing once again why he is so valuable to the senate and the country,” Flake wrote.

Vice President Mike Pence played the tiebreaker in the health care vote, which ended 50-50 after two Republicans voted against the bill.

McConnell’s bill would abolish much of Obama’s law, eliminating its tax penalties on people not buying policies, cutting Medicaid, eliminating its tax boosts on medical companies and providing less generous health care subsidies for consumers.

McCain said Monday that he was planning to return to work in Washington, D.C. one week after announcing that he was diagnosed with brain cancer following surgery.

“Senator McCain looks forward to returning to the United States Senate tomorrow to continue working on important legislation, including health care reform, the National Defense Authorization Act, and new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea,” McCain’s office said in a statement.

President Donald Trump applauded the senator’s return and called him a hero.

So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave – American hero! Thank you John.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017

Another Arizona politician, Dr. Kelli Ward, said Monday her comments about the senator’s future was a smear campaign against her.

“The media has presented something that is completely false,” she said. “They act as though I came out with some kind of an outrageous statement about Mr. John McCain and the terrible diagnosis that he received recently.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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