Senator John McCain’s office said on Sunday that the Congressman has gone back to Arizona to rest and recover after being released from Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland following a hospitalization and treatment he received last week. His return home means that he will likely miss the vote on the highly publicized tax bill expected to be voted on this coming week, USA Today reports.
Senator McCain, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in July, but has remained in his seat at the Senate while undergoing treatment, received “treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center for normal side effects of his ongoing cancer therapy,” his office said on Wednesday. Dr. Mark Gilbert, Chief of Neuro-Oncology at the NIH National Cancer Institute, specified in the most recent press release that he was being treated for a “viral infection.” His daughter, Meaghan McCain, confirmed on Twitter that he would be home through the holidays.
Thank you to everyone for their kind words. My father is doing well and we are all looking forward to spending Christmas together in Arizona. If you’re feeling charitable this Christmas @HeadfortheCure or @NBTStweets to help find a cure for brain cancer is what I recommend.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) December 17, 2017
His office said that he does not plan on returning to D.C. until January, which means he will miss the tax-reform vote. Although he has gone against Trump’s agenda in the past, McCain supported an earlier version of the tax bill that made it through the Senate.
On November 30, right before that vote, he released a statement saying “After careful thought and consideration, I have decided to support the Senate tax reform bill. I believe this legislation, though far from perfect, would enhance American competitiveness, boost the economy, and provide long overdue tax relief for middle class families.”
However, even without McCain, the Senate, with a 52-member majority, is still expected to pass the tax reform now that Senators Marco Rubio and Bob Corker, previous hold-outs, promised their support. Also, President Trump said that he spoke to Senator McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, and McCain could return to D.C. if they really needed him for the vote.
“But the word is John will come back if we need his vote,” Trump told reporters. “It’s too bad. He’s going through a very tough time, there’s no question about it. But he will come back if we need his vote.”