Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
McCain Swoops In To Save Party From Embarrassing Loss; Calls For Return Of Courage And Decorum
The Associated Press: McCain Delivers A Key Health Care Vote, Scolding Message
The maverick stood with his party on Tuesday, casting a crucial vote in the Republican drive to repeal "Obamacare." But then, like an angry prophet, Sen. John McCain condemned the tribal politics besetting the nation. Confronting an aggressive brain cancer, the 80-year-old Arizonan served notice he would not vote for the GOP legislation as it stands now. McCain's impassioned speech held the rapt attention of his colleagues in the Senate chamber. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/26)
The New York Times: McCain Returns To Cast Vote To Help The President Who Derided Him
He said that although he had voted to begin debate on repealing the Affordable Care Act, he would definitely not vote for a Senate health care bill without major changes. As it turned out, however, Mr. McCain did side late Tuesday with most Senate Republicans who voted — unsuccessfully — to replace the health care law with the most comprehensive plan his party has offered so far. (Steinhauer, 7/25)
USA Today: McCain, Battling Cancer, Returns To Senate And Casts Critical Health Care Vote
Standing in the well of the Senate with the surgical scar over his left eyebrow clearly visible, McCain urged his colleagues to "stop listening to the bombastic loudmouths" on radio, television and the Internet who rail against compromise. "To hell with them!" McCain said. (Gaudiano, 7/25)
The Washington Post: ‘We’re Getting Nothing Done’: McCain, In Emotional Return, Laments What The Senate Has Become
“Let’s trust each other. Let’s return to regular order. We’ve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle,” McCain told his colleagues, who gave him the floor for an unusual address usually reserved for a retiring senator. “We’re getting nothing done, my friends. We’re getting nothing done.” (Kane, 7/25)
The Wall Street Journal: McCain Returns To Senate With Calls For Bipartisanship
The senator spared no one—not himself, not Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.). “Sometimes I made it harder to find common ground because of something harsh I said to a colleague,” Mr. McCain said. “Sometimes I wanted to win more for the sake of winning than to achieve a contested policy.” (Hughes, 7/25)
Politico: McCain Returns — Backing And Blasting His Own Party
Trump hailed McCain in not one but two Tuesday tweets. The president called McCain an "American hero," apparently changing his mind two years after declaring on the campaign trail that "he's not a war hero" and "I like people who weren't captured." McCain spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, earning several medals for valor. (Schor, 7/25)
The Hill: McCain Votes To Advance ObamaCare Repeal, Replace After Vowing To Oppose
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voted in favor of a procedural hurdle Tuesday evening that would have advanced the GOP's ObamaCare repeal and replace bill to a vote. The vote to advance the proposal to a vote failed 43-57, with McCain voting yes. (Hellmann, 7/25)
Stat: Does John McCain's Return To Washington Carry Medical Risks?
Sen. John McCain’s decision to return to Washington for Tuesday’s vote on health care legislation came less than two weeks after surgery to remove a blood clot in his head — and shortly after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. His quick return came as a surprise to much of Washington. When he received his diagnosis of glioblastoma on July 14, he announced that he would stay in Arizona for a week to recover. And in a speech after Tuesday’s vote, McCain announced that he’ll be returning to Arizona to continue treatment after a few days in D.C. (Sheridan and Ross, 7/25)
