three nights later, when the senate was taking the pivotal obamacare repeal vote, all eyes were on john mccain. i think he was conflicted, because, you know, he really does want to repeal and replace obamacare. and there was a lot of pressure on him to do this and do that. and i said, do what you want to do. as someone who had just learned of his own health challenges, to have a health care repeal bill with very little replacement, i think was really close to his heart at that moment. hillary clinton spoke to her former colleague and friend about how personal this decision was. he was getting the world s best care. there was nothing that would be beyond his reach, if he needed it, for his own treatment. and i think he did, you know, really consider all of the people that he represents in arizona and people across the country and worried that, because it was rushed through and there was so little thought
administration is in disarray and they ve got a lot of work to do. traveling to 26 countries and four continents in the first half of 2017 alone, including asia. in particular vietnam. over the years mccain visited where he was held at p.o.w. dozens of time. it was inspiring to see him in a place where he made such a sacrifice for our country, in a conflict that was so violent and challenging and yet today he s so respected. he seems to know everyone all over the world. he is someone that looks at america and its role in the world and does not see it is limited in one place or what is convenient or what works at home. he s doing this for our country. one of his last international trips was in the summer of 2017, just a month later at a routine check up, doctors diagnosed mccain with brain cancer. average survival time of 14 months.
he was first a warrior, raised in a family that has defended our country for generations. he s a patriot. regardless of party, he s a patriot and i am honored that he s also my friend. he s loyal to his friends. he loves his country. if he has to stand up for our country, he would die for this country. i love him to death. a leader who once struggled to live up to his story, family legacy and earned his own unique place in american history, driven by three words: duty, honor, and country.
best care. there was nothing that would be beyond his reach, if he needed it, for his own treatment. and i think he did, you know, really consider all of the people that he represents in arizona and people across the country and worried that, because it was rushed through and there was so little thought to it, what would happen to them? thoughts that weighed on mccain well into the early morning hours of friday, july 28th, as senators gathered for the vote, mccain was being lobbied and wooed in plain sight by republican leadership. but he was quietly sending signals to friends on the other side of the aisle, like democratic senator, chris coons. he just sort of had a twinkle in his eye and he said, still weighing some things, but, i think we ought to find a way to work together. and then walks away. and we all sort of look at each other, did that mean what you thought it meant, you know? he came up to me in the well
it is decision day for the republican-led senate. the stakes are so high. today, an emotional return to capitol hill. senator john mccain coming back for a crucial health care vote. july 25th, 2017. for a 40-year senate veteran, returning to washington to vote is standard stuff. but this day was anything but standard. tonight, washington and the country united in prayers and well wishes for senator john mccain. it s an aggressive brain cancer. if you look at numbers alone, the average survival is around 14 months. about two weeks earlier, john mccain was diagnosed with brain cancer. it s crushing. it s crushing. confidant and former press secretary, brooke buchanan. i was so shocked when he told