Chuck Schumer was on the verge of tears speaking about John McCain after Republicans' 'skinny repeal' bill failed

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July 28, 2017 7:31 AM

"Let's turn the page," Schumer said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 10.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was moved to near tears while speaking about Sen. John McCain early Friday morning after the Republican "skinny repeal" of Obamacare failed on the Senate floor.

Schumer echoed the sentiments of Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, who earlier declared that it was time for lawmakers to "move on" from efforts to repeal the existing law, officially known as the Affordable Care Act. Schumer choked up as he turned his attention to McCain, who recently received a diagnosis of brain cancer.

"And let's turn the page in another way," Schumer said. "All of us were so inspired by the speech and the life of the senator from Arizona. And he asked us to go back to regular order, to bring back the Senate that some of us who've been here a while remember."

"Maybe this can be a moment where we start doing that," he said.

McCain joined Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine in voting against the so-called skinny repeal, officially titled the Health Care Freedom Act. All 48 Senate Democrats also rejected it.