Senate

Schumer to introduce bill naming Senate office building after McCain amid Trump uproar

by Jordain Carney - 03/20/19 11:24 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that he will introduce a resolution to rename the Russell Senate Office building after Sen. John McCain amid a growing backlash against President Trump’s recent comments about the late Arizona Republican.

“I look forward to soon re-introducing my legislation re-naming the Russell Senate Building after American hero, Senator John McCain,” Schumer said in a tweet on Wednesday.

I look forward to soon re-introducing my legislation re-naming the Senate Russell Building after American hero, Senator John McCain.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 20, 2019

A spokesman for Schumer didn’t immediately respond to questions about a timeline for the resolution or what Republican would be co-sponsoring it.

Schumer’s announcement comes as Trump has revived his long-running criticism of McCain, who he has repeatedly lashed out for being captured during the Vietnam War and for voting against the GOP ObamaCare repeal and replace bill.

Trump, while speaking at the White House on Tuesday, said he “was never a fan of John McCain, and I never will be.”

Trump’s criticism of McCain has drawn backlash from senators, including Schumer and GOP Sens. Johnny Isakson (Ga.) and Mitt Romney (Utah). Schumer, speaking to a New York radio station, called it “awful.”

McCain passed away in August from an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Schumer said shortly after his death that he would introduce a resolution to rename the Russell Senate Office building after McCain. Schumer and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter to senators urging them to support their effort.

But the idea faced skepticism, and in some cases outright opposition, from GOP senators who questioned if they should remove Russell’s name from the office building. Former Sen. Richard Brevard Russell (D-Ga.) is now considered controversial because of his opposition to civil rights legislation.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) demurred when asked around the time of McCain’s death if he supports renaming the Senate office building after McCain.

“We’ll be talking about the best way to honor Sen. McCain,” McConnell told reporters.

McConnell said separately that he would be “appointing a group on a bipartisan basis to convene after Labor Day and to think thoroughly through the appropriate way to honor our colleague.”

A spokesman for McConnell didn’t immediately respond to questions about the committee on Wednesday.