Sen. John McCain is back in Washington, D.C. — and it's a little bit sooner than people expected.
The Arizona senator announced last week he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. He's been reviewing treatment options at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
But Monday, McCain's office said he would return to the Senate to work on "important legislation," including the GOP's health care reform effort.
McCain's abrupt exit from the Senate led to some unrest on Capitol Hill. Senate Republicans have to overcome an extremely thin margin to advance any plan affecting the Affordable Care Act, and McCain's vote is crucial.
Tuesday's expected procedural vote would bring the bill to the floor for debate. But as of Tuesday morning, it was unclear whether senators would be voting on the repeal-only plan or the latest repeal-and-replace plan. Either way, several GOP party members aren't solid yes votes.
The Congressional Budget Office scored the repeal-only bill last week. The nonpartisan agency estimates an additional 32 million people would be uninsured and premiums would double in price by 2026.
The CBO estimates the latest version of the Better Care Reconciliation Act would reduce the deficit by $420 billion by 2026. But the office estimates an additional 22 million people would be uninsured.
In addition to health care, the Senate is expected to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act, as well as sanctions on North Korea, Russia and Iran.
