On Sunday, the office of Sen. John McCain released a statement advising that he would be unable to fulfill his duties and would be returning to Arizona for health reasons. His office stated that he “looks forward to returning to Washington in January.”
“Senator McCain has responded well to treatment he received at Walter Reed Medical Center for a viral infection and continues to improve. An evaluation of his underlying cancer shows he is responding positively to ongoing treatment,” said Dr. Mark Gilbert, Chief of Neuro-Oncology at the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute, in a statement released at the request of the McCain family.
The office of Senator McCain also released the following statement:
“Senator McCain has returned to Arizona and will undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic. He is grateful for the excellent care he continues to receive, and appreciates the outpouring of support from people all over the country. He looks forward to returning to Washington in January.”
Although most have publicly shared nothing but well wishes for the senator, many of his constituents have hoped he would step down and allow Arizona Governor Doug Ducey to appoint a replacement who is up to the rigors of the Hill.
McCain is suffering from brain cancer and is said to be increasingly frail.
When asked about McCain, whose voted is not expected to be needed in order to pass the tax bill, President Trump said the senator would return for the vote if need be.