John McCain, the Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate, has been diagnosed with brain cancer.<\/p>\n
A brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was removed from McCain along with a blood clot in a surgery at the Mayo Clinic on Friday, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
McCain\u2019s office had only previously announced that the blood clot had been removed from above the 80-year-old\u2019s left eye.<\/p>\n
The Mayo Clinic said in a statement released by McCain\u2019s office: \u201cThe senator and his family are reviewing further treatment options with his Mayo Clinic care team. Treatment options may include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. The senator\u2019s doctors say he is recovering from his surgery \u2018amazingly well\u2019 and his underlying health is excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n
The surgery\u00a0had forced McCain\u00a0to stay in Arizona this week and miss votes in the Senate. It had led to a delay in the vote on the Senate Republican bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was originally scheduled for Monday. Since the delay was announced, a sufficient number of Republican senators came forward to express their opposition to the bill and forced the majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to shelve it and instead\u00a0try to push a vote on a clean repeal\u00a0of the ACA.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Arizona senator\u2019s spokesperson said that \u201cin the aftermath of his diagnosis, further consultations with [the] Mayo Clinic care team will indicate when he will return to the United States Senate\u201d.<\/p>\n
An extended absence would likely make it even more difficult for Republicans to repeal or replace the ACA, popularly known as Obamacare. Senate Republicans have a narrow 52-48 majority and, with the tie-breaking vote of Mike Pence, can only afford to lose two votes if McCain is present. His absence means that two Republican \u201cno\u201d votes would now sink any legislation if all 48 Democrats are unified in opposition.<\/p>\n
McCain, who was re-elected to his sixth term in the Senate in 2016, was the Republican party\u2019s presidential nominee in 2008 and finished second to George W Bush in the 2000 GOP presidential primary. Prior to his career in politics, McCain served as an aviator in the US navy, and was held as prisoner of war for five and a half years during the Vietnam war. While being held captive by the north Vietnamese, McCain was repeatedly subjected to torture. He retired as a captain after earning a number of decorations including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross.<\/p>\n
The Arizona senator\u2019s illness sparked an outpouring of support from both sides of the aisle.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Donald Trump said: \u201cSenator John McCain has always been a fighter. Melania and I send our thoughts and prayers to Senator McCain, Cindy, and their entire family. Get well soon.\u201d Trump, who\u00a0famously set off a political firestorm\u00a0in 2015 by saying McCain was \u201cnot a war hero\u201d, said earlier in the week of the Arizona senator: \u201cWe hope John McCain gets better very soon because we miss him. He\u2019s a crusty voice in Washington. Plus we need his vote. And he\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barack Obama, against whom McCain ran in the 2008 presidential election,\u00a0tweeted: \u201cJohn McCain is an American hero & one of the bravest fighters I\u2019ve ever known. Cancer doesn\u2019t know what it\u2019s up against. Give it hell, John.\u201d<\/p>\n Barack Obama<\/span>(@BarackObama)<\/span><\/p>\n John McCain is an American hero & one of the bravest fighters I’ve ever known.\u00a0Cancer\u00a0doesn’t know what it’s up against. Give it hell, John.<\/p>\n July 20, 2017<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n A number of McCain\u2019s colleagues in the Senate also expressed their well wishes. In a statement, Mitch McConnell said: \u201cJohn McCain is a hero to our Conference and a hero to our country. He has never shied from a fight and I know that he will face this challenge with the same extraordinary courage that has characterized his life. The entire Senate family\u2019s prayers are with John, Cindy and his family, his staff, and the people of Arizona he represents so well. We all look forward to seeing this American hero again soon.\u201d<\/p>\n