Illness sidelines John McCain, Thad Cochran as tax vote nears – IOTW Report

Illness sidelines John McCain, Thad Cochran as tax vote nears

Breitbart: WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans rushed toward votes next week on their sweeping $1.5 trillion tax package, hopeful ailing Sens. John McCain and Thad Cochran will be back and well enough to cast their votes.

The 81-year-old McCain is at a local military hospital being treated for the side effects of brain cancer treatment. The 80-year-old Cochran had a non-melanoma lesion removed from his nose earlier this week.

nbc

Both men missed all Senate votes this week, but their presence will be crucial early next week as the GOP tries to pass the tax bill in the Senate with a razor-thin Republican majority of 52-48 — and all Democrats opposed to the legislation. Adding to the uncertainty on Thursday was Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who said he would vote against the bill if negotiators failed to expand the child tax credit.

“My expectation is he’ll be here,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said of McCain. “He’s resting up and so we hope to see him then.”

A Senate Armed Services Committee hearing opened Thursday without McCain in the chairman’s seat and members of the panel unsure when he’d return to Congress.

McCain’s closest friend on Capitol Hill, Sen. Lindsey Graham, told reporters that he spoke with McCain’s wife Cindy earlier in the week and said he was optimistic McCain would be back to work soon. But he dismissed the idea McCain should rush his recovery to vote on the GOP tax bill even though the margin for passage of the legislation in the Senate is expected to be slim.

“John, take a little time, rest up. It’s OK to take a day or two off,” Graham said.

McCain didn’t attend a White House ceremony held Tuesday for President Donald Trump to sign the annual defense bill into law. The sweeping policy measure has been a major achievement of McCain’s for years.

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24 Comments on Illness sidelines John McCain, Thad Cochran as tax vote nears

  1. I go through a lot of work trucks. When I sell them, they are still good trucks that have been well maintained. But, because of their age and mileage I realize they are apt to become unreliable. I view politicians the same way.

  2. LEFT WING: They can vote from their hospital beds! We don’t discriminate based on disability! If a President can sign with an auto-pen, why not a Senator?

    RIGHT WING: Gee, they are sick and can’t make it in to work. I guess we just won’t get the votes.

  3. Of course their health will keep them sidelined for fixing a major problem.

    Both these withered up fuckstains should have left public service 30 fucking odd years ago!

    They are the problem, they created the shit we’re trying to fix today. Elitist goofs, I hope both break a hip!

  4. TO Tim
    WRONG:
    “Since you must speak your vote, you must be present. This is not based on law but on the Senate’s rules…”

    https://www.quora.com/Do-the-rules-of-the-U-S-Senate-permit-a-Senator-to-vote-in-absentia

    %%%

    “…to actually vote, Senators and Representatives must physically be in either the House or Senate chamber and physically enter their vote using a special access card and electronic voting system.”

    https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061214190236AAIzUrw

  5. Czar, well there’s always Facetime or Skype. lol.

    Why is anyone allowed to vote who is under pain medication or the chemicals pumped through them?
    A person who goes under anesthesia is told not to make decisions or sign contracts in the following day.

  6. “John, take a little time, rest up. It’s OK to take a day or two off,” Graham said.

    Yep, that pressing 3-4 day work week can be crushing. And only getting a few weeks off every couple of months – sheesh!

  7. I wager $100 IOTW bucks that both are “too sick” to make it to the Senate to vote and at least one other republocrat like Smirkowski will vote “No” so this tax bill gets shitcanned just like Of**ktardcare. Hell, make it $1000 IOTW bucks.

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