The Latest: Tributes for McCain as he ceases treatment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. (all times local):

Tributes are pouring in for Arizona Sen. John McCain, with word that he's stopped medical treatment for brain cancer.

Says his wife, Cindy, in a tweet: "I love my husband with all of my heart. God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey."

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey calls McCain "an American hero" who always put his country before himself and whose life has been guided by a "spirit of service and civility" that is a model for Americans regardless of political affiliation.

And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the McCain family is "in our prayers at this incredibly difficult hour."

Sen. John McCain's family says the Arizona senator has chosen to discontinue medical treatment for brain cancer.

In a statement, McCain's family says McCain has surpassed expectations for his survival, but "the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict." The family adds: "With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment."

The 81-year-old McCain is in his sixth term representing Arizona, He has been away from the Capitol since December.

Family members say they are immensely grateful for the support and kindness shown by McCain's caregivers and for the outpouring of concern and affection by thousands of people.</s>PHOENIX — Sen. John McCain has chosen to discontinue medical treatment for brain cancer, the Arizona senator’s family said Friday.

In a statement, McCain’s family said McCain has surpassed expectations for his survival, but “the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict.”

The family added: “With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.”

The 81-year-old McCain is in his sixth term representing Arizona, He has been away from the Capitol since December.

Family members say they are immensely grateful for the support and kindness shown by McCain’s caregivers and for the outpouring of concern and affection by thousands of people.

My family is deeply appreciative of all the love and generosity you have shown us during this past year. Thank you for all your continued support and prayers. We could not have made it this far without you – you've given us strength to carry on. pic.twitter.com/KuAQSASoa7</s>Arizona Sen. John McCain has discontinued medical treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer, his family says.

It's a likely indication that the war hero, onetime presidential nominee and longtime lawmaker is nearing the end of his life.

The 81-year-old McCain has surpassed expectations for survival, but "the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict," the family said in a statement. "With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment."

The six-term GOP senator, whose birthday is Aug. 29, has been away from the Capitol since last December.

McCain's wife, Cindy, said in a tweet Saturday that the McCain family was "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from around the world" after Friday's announcement.

Among those offering support is Vice President Mike Pence, who tweeted Saturday night: "Karen and I are praying for Senator John McCain, Cindy and their family this weekend. May God bless them all during this difficult time."

If McCain should resign his seat or die soon, Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey would name a replacement to serve until the 2020 election. The winner of that election would serve the remainder of McCain's term through 2022.

In more than three decades in Congress, McCain became known as a political maverick willing to stick to his convictions rather than go along with party leaders — an independent streak that has drawn a mix of respect and ire.

Most recently, he has been a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump, keeping up his criticism of the White House even while undergoing severe medical treatment in Arizona.

In July, he issued a searing rebuke of Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a "tragic mistake" and "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory."

The strained relationship between Trump and McCain dates back to 2015, when Trump suggested the Vietnam veteran, who spent more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison after his Navy plane was shot down, was not a war hero.

The ill will grew after McCain voted in 2017 against a Republican replacement for the Obama-era health law. He doomed the bill with a dramatic thumbs-down on the Senate floor. Complaints about McCain's vote have become a staple of Trump's campaign speeches. He doesn't mention McCain by name but makes clear his intent by mockingly imitating the thumbs-down gesture.

The feud between the two men has persisted even amid the decline in McCain's health. While political leaders of both parties paid tribute to McCain and offered prayers Friday, Trump and the White House remained silent. Trump did not mention McCain or the health care vote in a speech Friday night at a fundraising dinner in Ohio.

Earlier this month, Trump signed a military policy bill named for McCain, but he made no mention of McCain at a signing ceremony.

The son and grandson of Navy admirals, McCain is a former Navy pilot. He was elected to Congress in 1982 and to the Senate four years later, replacing the retired Barry Goldwater.

Despite his famous stubborn streak and occasional orneriness, McCain is widely admired on both sides of the aisle, and tributes poured in Friday after the family announced the treatment decision.

"We are so fortunate to call him our friend and colleague," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Twitter. "The entire McCain family are in our prayers at this incredibly difficult hour.;;

Ducey called McCain "an American hero" who always put his country before himself.

A "spirt of service and civility" guided McCain's life, standing as a model for Americans regardless of political affiliation, Ducey said.

McCain had surgery in July 2017 to remove a blood clot in his brain after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma. It's the same type of tumor that killed Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., at age 77 in 2009.

McCain rebounded quickly, however, returning to Washington and entering the Senate in late July to a standing ovation from his colleagues. In a dramatic turn, he later cast the deciding vote against the Republican health care bill, earning Trump's enduring wrath.

McCain's condition worsened last fall, and he has been in Arizona since December. A source close to McCain who asked not to be identified said Friday the senator was at his Arizona ranch with his family.

He is a long-term survivor of melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. But doctors classified his brain cancer as a "primary tumor," meaning it's not related to his former malignancies.

McCain ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, then won it in 2008 before losing the general election to Obama.

When Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015, McCain embraced his new influence as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, pushing for aggressive U.S. military intervention overseas and eager to contribute to "defeating the forces of radical Islam that want to destroy America."

Asked how he wanted to be remembered, McCain said: "That I made a major contribution to the defense of the nation."

Former Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a close friend, said Friday that "becoming John McCain's friend has been one of the great blessings of my life. Today I am praying for him and his family."

Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee, said on Twitter, "No man this century better exemplifies honor, patriotism, service, sacrifice and country first than Senator John McCain. His heroism inspires, his life shapes our character. I am blessed and humbled by our friendship."

Associated Press writer Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.</s>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As Sen. John McCain’s family announced that the ailing veteran is stopping treatment for brain cancer, the Army paid tribute Friday at the opening of a new warfare modernization headquarters in Texas that he played a driving role in creating.

“None of this would be happening without someone who’s not here today, and that’s Sen. John McCain, an American hero,” said Gen. Mark Milley, the Army’s chief of staff.

The activation of the Futures Command in the downtown heart of tech-savvy Austin came just hours after McCain’s family said in a statement that the Senate Armed Services chairman had surpassed expectations for survival but that the progress of the disease and McCain’s age “render their verdict.” McCain turns 82 next week

McCain’s condition worsened last fall and the Arizona Republican has been in his home state since December.

Two members of McCain’s staff attended the ushering in of what the Army says amounts to its most significant restructuring in more than 40 years. The command is tasked with modernizing everything from combat vehicles to weapons and helping soldiers adapt to emerging threats from powers such as Chine and Russia.

Among the first signature initiatives that should come out of the command in the next few years, Army leaders say, is new optical headwear for soldiers that can display maps or simulate missions.

Milley and other Army leaders described McCain, a former Navy pilot who was held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five years, as a guiding force in making the command a reality. Discussions on establishing a Futures Command began about two years ago.

McCain, a long-term survivor of the deadly skin cancer melanoma, underwent surgery in July 2017 to remove a blood clot in his brain after being diagnosed with an aggressive tumor called a glioblastoma.

“I wish he could be here. I know from talking to Gen. Milley that he was key,” said Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn. “I know that he would love to be here and be pleased.”

About 500 people are expected to work at the command, most of whom will be civilians. The command for now will operate out of the University of Texas System’s new downtown headquarters that is surrounded by nearby startups and tech incubators. The Army says it wanted to tap into that workforce.

Boston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Raleigh, North Carolina, were also on the Army’s shortlist of finalists.</s>Schumer introducing resolution to name Senate office building after McCain

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) released a statement mourning the death of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Saturday, saying he plans to introduce a resolution to rename a Senate office building after the war hero.

“As you go through life, you meet few truly great people. John McCain was one of them,” Schumer wrote. “His dedication to his country and the military were unsurpassed, and maybe most of all, he was a truth teller – never afraid to speak truth to power in an era where that has become all too rare. The Senate, the United States, and the world are lesser places without John McCain.” READ MORE:</s>Veteran US senator and war hero John McCain -- a towering figure in American politics for decades -- has stopped treatment for brain cancer, his family announced Friday, one year after the Republican went public with his diagnosis.

The announcement signals the beginning of the end of a tough battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer -- and of a storied life that took him from a Hanoi prison to the doorstep of the White House.

"The progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict," the 81-year-old senator's loved ones said in a statement.

"With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment."

McCain has spent more than three decades in the upper chamber of Congress, looming large in debates over war and peace and the moral direction of the nation.

The Navy fighter pilot spent years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam after being shot down while on a bombing mission over Hanoi.

He lost the 2008 presidential election to Barack Obama, and was pilloried for selecting controversial Alaska politician Sarah Palin as his running mate.

With no more elections to run, since 2016, he has been a rare and outspoken Republican critic of President Donald Trump.

Known for his combustive temper, he has accused the 45th president of "naivete", "egotism" and of sympathizing with autocrats.

Following Trump's recent summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, McCain caustically described the US leader's behavior as "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory."

McCain has not been on the Senate floor in months, remaining at his Arizona home for treatment. Glioblastoma is the same form of brain cancer that took the life of another Senate giant, Democrat Ted Kennedy, in 2009.

"I love my husband with all of my heart. God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey," his wife Cindy said.

His daughter Meghan thanked the public for an outpouring of support.

"My family is deeply appreciative of all the love and generosity you have shown us during this past year," she tweeted.

"Thank you for all your continued support and prayers. We could not have made it this far without you - you've given us strength to carry on."

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was "very sad to hear this morning's update from the family of our dear friend."

"We are so fortunate to call him our friend and colleague. John, Cindy, and the entire McCain family are in our prayers at this incredibly difficult hour."</s>John McCain will no longer receive medical treatment for glioblastoma, the Arizona senator’s family said today. McCain announced that he was diagnosed with brain cancer last summer and has been largely absent from the Senate this year.

“John has surpassed expectations for his survival. But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment,” the family said.

The New York Times reported, “Mr. McCain’s family has gathered in Arizona, and people close to him say his death is imminent.”

After Donald Trump’s election, McCain emerged as one of his most vocal Republican critics, lambasting the president for his more isolationist foreign policy stances and affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In perhaps the most dramatic legislative moment of the Trump presidency, McCain delivered the crucial 51st vote against the Republican health care bill.

Tributes from his colleagues flooded the internet Friday morning almost immediately after the family’s announcement.</s>Sen. John McCain, who has battled a deadly form of brain cancer for more than a year, is ending medical treatment, his office said in a statement Friday.

The six-term senator from Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee has been battling the cancer, known as glioblastoma, from his home near Sedona since December. His family and a team of caregivers have cared for McCain, 81, ever since.

"Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious," the statement said. "In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival.

"But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment. Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John’s many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all."

More: Meghan McCain says dad John McCain is 'hanging in'

More: Meghan McCain on her dad: 'I’m scared of America without him'

McCain has continued his Senate duties as much as he could from his family home in northern Arizona, 2,200 miles away from Washington, D.C. There, he occasionally weighed in on policy and media reports via Twitter, issued official written statements as he deems necessary and receives staff briefings.

However, McCain could not cast Senate votes by proxy or in absentia.

The senator's wife, Cindy, expressed her gratitude for those who have helped in her husband's treatment. They have been married for 37 years.

"I love my husband with all of my heart," she wrote on Twitter. "God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey."

McCain's daughter, Meghan, also thanked supporters for the "love and generosity" they have shown her family over the past year.

"We could not have made it this far without you – you've given us strength to carry on."

Family and friends have visited McCain and his wife Cindy at their Arizona home, including former Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and other friends and associates who have worked on his various campaigns.</s>John McCain has been battling glioblastoma, which is brain cancer, but unfortunately, he has lost his fight against the disease, leaving behind a wife and family. Almost forty years ago, John McCain met heiress Cindy Lou Hensley, according to People, and the two married just a year later. When McCain and Hensley first became acquainted, he was actually married to his first wife Carol Shepp. Get to know more about McCain’s love life, his family and his wife of 38 years below.

McCain Was a Married Man With Children When He Met Cindy Lou Hensley

John McCain was married to first wife Carol Shepp, who was a former model, when he first met Cindy Lou Hensley at a party in Hawaii, as reported by People. At the time, McCain had a daughter named Sidney and he had adopted Shepp’s two sons from a previous marriage – Douglas and Andrew. According to The Washington Post, McCain and Shepp had a rocky marriage and were close to calling it quits when he “fell instantly in love” with Hensley. Just six weeks after divorcing Shepp, McCain married Hensley on May 17, 1980.

When McCain tied the knot with Hensley, he moved to Arizona and was taken under the wing of his new wife’s father. The Washington Post reported that McCain started working for Jim Hensley’s beer distribution company.

A Lie Was Discovered When McCain and Hensley Applied for Their Marriage License Thank all of you for the wonderful thoughts. @senjohnmccain is doing well. We as a family will face the next hurdle together. One thing I do know is he is the toughest person I know. He is my hero and I love him with all my heart.

McCain and wife Hensley had a 17-year age gap, but both lied about their ages to each other when they met. It wasn’t until they applied for their marriage license that they each found out the truth, which later became a running joke. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM Radio in 2008, Hensley revealed that, “In Arizona when you apply for a marriage license, it’s published in the newspaper. Of course when they published the application, we both found out together our true ages … It didn’t matter anyway. I felt like he wouldn’t be interested in someone as young as me – and he felt I wouldn’t be interested in someone that was older, like he was … And it’s been a funny joke for our kids ever since.”

In addition to having secrets from each other about their ages, the couple has their own secrets together as well. For example, “a friend” told People that Hensley would often comb her husband’s hair because he couldn’t reach up, as the result of his war injuries.

During the 1990’s, Hensley had back surgery and became addicted to painkillers as a result. According to News One, Hensley even stole drugs from her own charity at the time. A former employee named Tom Gosinski tipped off the DEA, which audited the charity and initiated an investigation. Fortunately, News One reports that Hensley ended up coming clean and received professional treatment. The Huffington Post reported that Hensley had become addicted to Vicodin and Percocet.

People reports Hensley discussing her husband’s response to her addiction, “I kept it from him because I didn’t want to let him down … He sat down next to me and said, ‘You should come to me first with whatever it is — I love you, I’m here for you, I will get through this with you.’ And he did.” During an appearance on Access Hollywood, Hensley said that overcoming her addiction made her a better parent and she tries to talk about the situation so that it helps others to avoid having their own issues.

Together, McCain and Hensley Had Four Children

After McCain and Hensley married, they created their own family and raised their kids in Arizona. Meghan McCain, Bridget McCain, James McCain, and John Sidney McCain IV re their four children and man know Meghan from her hosting gig on The View. In 1991, Cindy and John McCain adopted their fourth child, a daughter named Bridget, who had a cleft lip and palate. She was from Bangladesh and her cleft palate was so severe that she reportedly could not be fed. Wes Gullett, a former aide to Mr McCain, told Telegraph that Hensley chose Bridget from approximately 160 abandoned babies at a center that was run by the late Mother Teresa in Dhaka.

Gullett said that McCain was unaware that Hensley was bringing Bridget to live with them until meeting her at the airport. In 2000, when John McCain was running against George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination, Bridget was at the center of speculation that she was an illegitimate child who McCain had fathered.</s>US Senator John McCain has discontinued medical treatment for aggressive brain cancer, his family said today.

The Vietnam war veteran and former presidential candidate announced his prognosis a year ago.

"John has surpassed expectations for his survival," the 

 family said.

They added that the disease's progression and McCain's age, 81, had led him to stop treatment for the "aggressive 

 glioblastoma."

"With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to 

 discontinue medical treatment," the family said.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of cancer affecting the brain.

In a statement, the family said: “Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioplastoma, and the prognosis was serious.

“In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival.

“But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict.

“With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.

“Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John’s many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers. God bless and thank you all.”
John McCain has announced that he will not continue his cancer treatment.