Dec. 18 (UPI) — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will return home after receiving treatment for chemotherapy side effects and will miss the vote on the GOP tax plan this week, according to reports Sunday.
McCain had spent the last several days in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland to get treatment for brain cancer. But instead of returning to Washington, D.C., his daughter, Meghan McCain, announced on Twitter that the senator will spend the holidays with his family in Arizona.
“Thank you to everyone for their kind words. My father is doing well and we are all looking forward to spending Christmas together in Arizona,” she wrote.
According to CBS News, McCain left Washington for Arizona on Sunday and it’s not clear when he will return.
A close friend of McCain told CNN the senator was “exhausted, but ok” when leaving the hospital Sunday.
Although Republicans won’t have McCain’s vote this week, he may not be necessary to get the tax plan passed. Republicans have a 52-48 advantage over Democrats in the Senate. Without McCain, they still have a 51-48 edge. And if it comes down to a 50-50 vote, Vice President Mike Pence can cast a tiebreaker vote.
In July, McCain was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He has been undergoing treatment since then and has missed several votes in recent days while undergoing chemotherapy.
