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TN members of Congress recall Sen. John McCain

The outpouring of support for the late Arizona senator continued Monday.

Oak Ridge — To admirers, there are no words to fully describe the impact Sen. John McCain had on his country or the people he worked with every day.

Still, finding those words is the task now left to many hoping to do justice in remembering the senator from Arizona who died Saturday.

"At any time, one United States senator usually stands out above the rest. For the past several years, that senator has been John McCain," said Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander at a press conference Monday in Oak Ridge. "His courage, his independence, his feistiness and his love for his country has been a good example for all of us."

Alexander, a Republican from Maryville, served alongside McCain in the Senate and witnessed his battle with cancer firsthand. After his 2017 diagnosis, McCain came to work in Washington and served the people who elected him for as long as he could while fighting the disease that would ultimately claim his life.

"I’ve fought side by side with him in the United States Senate and sometimes we’ve been opposed to each other, but I’ve never doubted his sincerity, his courage or his effectiveness," Alexander said. "I don’t think anyone in the Senate was surprised that he came back, that he voted, and that he fought right until the end."

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker also served alongside McCain in the Senate. In a statement shortly after his death, Corker remembered his "friend" and colleague.

“America lost a statesman and hero tonight and all of us in the Senate lost a friend,” said Corker. “John McCain was cantankerous at times – and proud of it – but always fighting to make our nation better. He was a patriot, an inspiration, and served in a way that is all too rare in Washington today. My thoughts and prayers are with Cindy and the entire McCain family as they mourn his loss.”

For Tennessee congressmen serving on the other side of the Capitol in Washington, McCain was a revered figure.

"He was a statesman. A statesman is something that I think America needs more of right now in public service," said Republican Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, who represents the 3rd District of Tennessee. "He was always so cordial, always so friendly, and always a gentleman."

Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, served as a surrogate for the McCain campaign during his bid for president in 2008.

"I think we all have appreciated his friendship, the friendliness and dialogue that he would carry forward," Blackburn said.

Blackburn is currently seeking to replace Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker in the Senate. Her Democratic opponent, Phil Bredesen, also remembered McCain.

"My heart is heavy to hear of the passing of Sen. John McCain," Bredesen said. "He was a true statesman and American hero. I hope to make his legacy of a united and strong America proud."

New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer has proposed renaming the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington after John McCain. Alexander says he supports plans for a large memorial honoring McCain, but does not yet know what that should look like.

"I don’t think there’s a senator who doesn't believe that there ought to be some significant memorial for Sen. John McCain," Alexander said. "Whether it’s renaming a Senate building or something else, I’m not sure."

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