John McCain Will Soon Return To The Senate After Receiving Cancer Treatment

Although the tragedy concerning his family’s naval namesake has been in the news lately, Arizona Sen. John McCain has largely avoided the spotlight since casting the vote that killed the GOP’s Obamacare “skinny repeal” plan in late July. Yet Donald Trump’s controversial pardon of ex-Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio stirred an official statement from McCain’s office that’s critical of the decision. What’s more, the Senate’s scheduled consideration for the National Defense Authorization Act in September has further encouraged the politician to return to Congress next week.

According to Politico, Republican aides indicate McCain will return to the Senate during the first week of September, thereby “giving the Senate GOP its full contingent of 52 votes.” He is expected to lead the chamber’s debate on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is his “foremost priority as Senate Armed Services Committee chairman.” Following the initial diagnosis of an “aggressive” form of brain cancer and his dramatic participation in the Obamacare repeal and replace vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to reschedule the NDAA’s consideration. Yet McConnell’s fellow Kentuckian, Sen. Rand Paul, blocked the attempt.

McCain turned 81 years old on Tuesday, prompting social media celebrations by his wife, Cindy McCain and their daughter, Meghan McCain.

Even the senator’s official Twitter account joined in on the occasion, re-sharing several family photos and a video attributed to “our Iranian American friends from #Arizona.”

No word yet on whether McCain will beeline for Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s designated chamber seat to discuss the latter’s cringe-worthy suggestion the brain tumor affected his Obamacare repeal and replace vote.

(Via Politico & ABC News)