The former and once more current Senator | Photo: Wikimedia/Gage Skidmore
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey appointed former Republican Senator Jon Kyl as the replacement for John McCain’s seat.
Kyl will remain throughout the duration of the current session of Congress. It is unclear if he will stay on until the special election in 2020 for the seat.
He previously served in the Senate from 1995 to 2013 alongside McCain.
‘I haven’t been able to get that assurance from Sen. Kyl yet,’ Ducey said. ‘What I have gotten is a commitment to serve Arizona through at least this session of Congress, and it’s my hope that he serves longer.’
McCain served as a Senator for over three decades, from January 1987 to his death last month. Since Trump’s presidency, McCain became known for pushing back against the President. It was thanks to McCain that the Republicans’ efforts to repeal Obamacare failed.
Last year, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and reduced his role in the Senate to focus on treatment. On 24 August, his family announced he was stopping treatment and he passed away the next day at 81.
Where Kyl stands
When it comes to Kyl’s various political stances and votes, his record for progressive legislation is abysmal.
In 1996, he voted yes on prohibiting same-sex marriage. Six years later, he voted not to add sexual orientation to the definition of hate crimes. Not long after, he also voted for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
His votes for abortion rights are not any better.
In 2008, for example, he voted that unborn children should be eligible for CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He also voted to prohibit Health & Human Services grants going to organizaitons that perform abortions.
Elsewhere, Kyl is a supporter of gun rights and a conservative Supreme Court. When former President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court in 2009, Kyl voted against her.
Kyl will have a vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation. Many LGBTI and women’s groups are worried about Kavanaugh joining the Supreme Court, and Kyl’s history on LGBTI and women’s rights are not encouraging.
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