On Saturday, August 25th, 2018, nine years to the day since the death of his friend Senator Kennedy, our friend and colleague Senator John S. McCain passed away.
I can truly say that the time we spent together authoring and passing immigration reform were some of my proudest days in politics, in no small part because the success was shared with @SenJohnMcCain.
He was so many things to so many people. A fierce friend to those who were lucky enough to have earned his friendship. A real thorn in the side of those who earned his scorn. An unofficial ambassador for the US, a comfort to our allies & an unabashed champion for Western values.
He was unafraid to take on presidents, & he was unafraid to take on his own party. He was equal parts funny & furious, foul-mouthed & statesmanlike. He could put the temper in temperament. He was a brave and honest man. He was a patriot.
He was all of those things throughout his life, usually more than one at once, until the very last of his days.
Remarking on the character of America, @SenJohnMcCain said that we live in a “big, boisterous, brawling, intemperate, restless, striving, daring, brave, good and magnificent country.” Truer words could not be said about the man himself.
I will miss him dearly. In the past year of his illness, during moments of doubt about the direction of our country, I found myself thinking about what John McCain would do or say if he were here.
So that future generations will study his example, I’ve proposed that we rename the Russell Senate Office Building, one of only three Senate office buildings, after John McCain.
But it need not be the only way we honor Senator McCain.
But it need not be the only way we honor Senator McCain.
We can honor him by trying to carry on the principles he lived by. We can try, as he did, to put country before party. We can try, as he did, to speak truth to power. & we can try,as he summoned us to try,to restore the Senate to its rightful place in our national political life.
