Dem senator: Would ‘absolutely’ vote to rename Senate office building after McCain

Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.) on Monday said he would “absolutely” support an effort to rename the Senate office building after the late Sen. John McCain, calling it a “deserved honor.”

{mosads}”He was someone who, while he didn’t seek that kind of visible recognition, I think it is an appropriate way to remember him,” Coons said on CNN’s “New Day.”

He added that he and McCain often spoke about the need to make it easier for young Americans to join the civil service or the military after high school. Coons said he intends to work on increasing accessibility to those programs “in John’s honor” in the coming months.

Would Democratic Sen. @ChrisCoons vote yes on a move to rename the Russell Senate office building after John McCain?

“Absolutely. I think it’s a deserved honor.” https://t.co/tBWvcraScd pic.twitter.com/5HoC6pqar0

— New Day (@NewDay) August 27, 2018

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said following McCain’s death on Saturday that he plans to introduce a resolution to rename a Senate office building after the longtime Arizona senator.

“Nothing will overcome the loss of Senator McCain, but so that generations remember him I will be introducing a resolution to rename the Russell building after him,” Schumer said.

Coons joined numerous other lawmakers on Monday in recalling his time with McCain, who died on Saturday at age 81, a year after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

The Democrat said he initially found it “hugely intimidating” to interact with McCain, particularly on foreign policy issues. Coons said he learned that McCain was “incredibly kind.” 

“He was capable of being gruff and demanding and difficult in public, but he was also capable of being funny and kind and thoughtful,” he said.

McCain is scheduled to lie in the Arizona State Capitol on Wednesday and the U.S. Capitol on Friday. He will be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Sunday.