Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Cartwright: John McCain will make a ‘good choice’ on healthcare because ‘he’s staring death in the face’

Cartwright was back in his district during the House’s week away from Washington and was caught on video making the comment about McCain, who had surgery for brain cancer earlier this summer.

“McCain I’m worried about,” he said on Tuesday at a town hall meeting at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Tamaqua, Pa. “Also because the governor of Arizona came out in favor of the Lindsey Graham-Bill Cassidy bill so that puts pressure on McCain.

“But, man, something tells me McCain, he’s staring death in the face right now, so he’s probably going to make good choices and he’s not going to bend to political pressure.”

The comment comes two weeks after McCain returned full time to the Senate after leaving to get treatment for brain cancer. The 81-year-old senior senator from Arizona underwent surgery in July for an aggressive brain tumor, but returned to the Senate following that surgery to cast the vote that killed the Senate Republicans’ previous attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

The Graham-Cassidy bill would overhaul Obamacare by taking the funding for the program away from the federal government and instead block granting it to the states to create their own system. Senate Republicans are currently attempting to wrangle the 50 votes, plus Vice President Mike Pence, needed to by pass Democrats.

The comment by Cartwright has already drawn the attention of at least one conservative group.

“For Congressman Cartwright to callously use the illness of an American hero for political reasons is both outrageous and offensive. Sen. McCain deserves an immediate apology from the congressman,” said Alexandra Smith, executive director of America Rising PAC.

Meghan McCain, the senator’s daughter, responded to news of Cartwright’s remark, saying it was a “disgusting and macabre statement.”

Cartwright later put out a statement saying he reached out to McCain and his family to apologize.

“I want to express my deep admiration for Senator McCain and gratitude for his service to our nation. I have reached out to apologize directly to him and his family for my statement about his illness, which I agree was insensitive, and which has clearly offended the McCain family,” Cartwright said Thursday evening. “I know he will continue to fight for the people of Arizona and this country during his courageous battle with this disease. I wish him a speedy and full recovery.”