McCain decries the secretive Senate process he approved with a vote

2025-04-27 20:01:33admin

July, 25, 2017: Mark it down as one of the strangest days of John McCain's entire, lengthy time in the Senate.

The senator flew to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday — days after being diagnosed with brain cancer — just in time to cast a vote that, moments later, he appeared to ridicule in a speech on the Senate floor.

SEE ALSO: A complete thesaurus of tough guy words Republicans use to criticize Trump instead of taking action

McCain's vote helped Senate Republicans pass a motion to proceed to debate a possible bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare). Senate Republicans, by and large, don't know what's in the bill — because the Republican leadership hasn't told anybody. McCain voted in favor of the motion to proceed despite being aware of this, but then decried the secrecy he endorsed in a speech moments later.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"I know many of you will have to see the bill changed substantially for you to support it. We tried to do this by coming up with a proposal behind closed doors, in consultation with the administration, then springing it on skeptical members, trying to convince them that it's better than nothing," McCain said, speaking with a gash over his left eye, the result of a recent surgery to remove a blood clot. "I don't think that's gonna work in the end, and probably shouldn't."

Many observers noticed the contradiction between the senator's vote and his speech.