A week after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) returned to the senate floor to cast a critical vote in favour of moving forward with a process that would repeal and possibly replace the Affordable Care Act.
Only two Republican Senators, Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) voted against the motion to proceed. Vice President Pence cast the tie-breaking vote, marking a major victory for Trump and the GOP.
All eyes were on McCain, whose critical vote could have stopped the motion to proceed in its tracks. As the senator receives top-notch medical care at home in Arizona, it's nearly impossible to ignore the irony of voting to move forward in a process that could strip 22 million people of healthcare.
Following McCain's vote, celebrities and pundits took to Twitter to criticise the senator for voting yes, delivering an impassioned speech that contradicted his vote, and then heading home to continue his cancer treatment.
A guy who gets brain cancer and remains a heartless asshole - that's not a hero, that's a pilot for AMC.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) July 25, 2017
My waiter just brought me soup with a fly in it but then gave a rousing speech about how flies shouldn't be in soup. #Hero
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) July 25, 2017
McCain is no average civilian
— Benj Pasek (@benjpasek) July 25, 2017
His💗is so cold it's reptilian
while taxpayers pay
For his healthcare he'll say
let’s strip it from 22 million
You have cancer. U are a "maverick." You are being treated w/ protected government health insurance. This wasn't a tricky decision Senator.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) July 25, 2017
THIS! And for every American relying on you. @SenJohnMcCain you will go down in history as a cruel and unjust failure of a politician. https://t.co/3ygP4yN4qD
— Jaime King (@Jaime_King) July 25, 2017
The horror and shame and absolutely expected nature of McCain is..... certainly something. But hey. He has healthcare.
— roxane gay (@rgay) July 25, 2017
Although today's vote was a major blow to Democrats, the ACA is far from dead. The next step is a floor debate on legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, and it's unclear what the bill will look like and if there will ultimately be enough votes to pass it.
According to McCain, he will not vote for the bill "as it is today."
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