Politicians are backing Sen. Schumer's call to rename the Russell Senate Office Building for John McCain
- Several political leaders followed Sen. Chuck Schumer's call to rename the Senate Office Building for the late Sen. John McCain after his death.
- In a statement Saturday, Schumer said he would be introducing a resolution for the building's name to be changed, which several leaders supported in on-air appearances Sunday.
- There has been previous debate about renaming the building from the late Sen. Richard B. Russell of Georgia, who held pro-segregationist views.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer's call to rename the Senate Office Building for the late Sen. John McCain received support from prominent members of Congress on Sunday.
In a statement Saturday, Schumer said he would be introducing a resolution for the building's name to be changed "so that generations remember him."
Officials from both sides of the aisle backed the proposed change in on-air appearances on the Sunday political shows.
Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, McCain's longtime state colleague, said on CBS's "Face the Nation" he wanted to be the "first Republican co-sponsor" for the name change, adding it would be one honor among "many other things that we need to do, but that's a good one."
There has been previous debate about renaming the building to distance it from the legacy of the late Sen. Richard B. Russell of Georgia, who held pro-segregationist views, according to official Senate history.
CNN's "State of the Union" host Jake Tapper called the proposition a "quite brilliant" move that goes beyond political ideology to assign the honor of the building's name to a widely appreciated figure.
"You get rid of Dick Russell's memory, a giant of the Senate but also a horrific white supremacist, a Democrat, and you get to erase him from the democratic archives," Tapper said. "It's a nice bipartisan moment."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on ABC's "This Week" it would be a "great tribute" to McCain, who she said "was formidable, had enormous integrity, and was acting on behalf of our country and what he truly believed."
"Decades to come, everyone who came to Washington would know the very special place that John McCain held ... and will continue to hold," Pelosi added.
McCain died Saturday at the age of 81 after his family announced he would be ending treatment for brain cancer.
Tributes poured in from military leaders, former presidents, and McCain's former Senate colleagues commending his life and career, which included over 20 years in the US Navy and three decades as an Arizona senator.
Remembering the life and legacy of John McCain:
- Former presidents, congressional leaders, and the military commend John McCain's storied life and service
- Sen. Lindsey Graham gives an emotional statement after John McCain's death
- Trump offers his condolences to McCain's family after his death
- 10 of John McCain's best quotes on courage, happiness, and character
- 10 photos show John McCain's heroism in Vietnam and his lasting impact on the US military
- The incredible life of John McCain, in photos
- A look at the life and fortune of John McCain, who has a sprawling real estate portfolio and donated $1.7 million in book sales to charity
- In his new book, McCain revealed how he found out he had brain cancer