Sen. John McCain was a war hero and dedicated public servant who put country over party and who recognized the moral imperative to protect younger Americans and future generations from excessive government debt.
The Concord Coalition mourns his passing, and we offer our condolences to his family, friends, congressional colleagues and the people of Arizona, the state he represented so well for so many years.
In 2004 Concord honored McCain with its annual Paul E. Tsongas Economic Patriot Award, which over the years has been given to people of varied backgrounds and political affiliations who have advocated for fiscal responsibility and reform. The organization said at the time:
“Senator McCain has always stood as one of the strongest advocates on Capitol Hill for fiscally responsible policies and generational equity. His independent positions on tax cuts and spending increases often put him at odds with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle — which is considered high praise by The Concord Coalition.”
In presenting the award, former Senator Warren B. Rudman (R-N.H.) — a Concord co-founder and close friend of the Arizona senator — called McCain “an extraordinarily important treasure to this country.”
Rudman added: “John McCain believes in doing what is right for the American people and he doesn’t care what power interest, political or private, that he goes up against if he believes that he’s right.”
Over his remarkable 36-year political career John McCain built a record of bipartisan accomplishment, political and personal courage, principled leadership and dedication to the country’s future. He will be sorely missed.
Media contact: Steve Winn, [email protected], (703) 254-7828
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The Concord Coalition is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to fiscal responsibility. Since 1992, Concord has worked to educate the public about the causes and consequences of the federal deficit and debt, and to develop realistic solutions for sustainable budgets. For more fiscal news and analysis, visit concordcoalition.org and follow us on Twitter: @ConcordC
