Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the passing of Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.):

                “John McCain was a leader, a public servant and a patriot, and he’ll be terribly missed. I’ve traveled with John and we talked about what he went through with respect to torture. His experience led him to believe that such evil acts could never be the American way.

                "After the Intelligence Committee released its controversial torture report, John didn’t hesitate to stand up and support it. He went even further, using his position as Armed Services Committee chairman to get an amendment through on a defense bill to permanently ban torture. That’s the kind of man John was. He was courageous, and even in the most difficult situations he stood up for what he believed was right.

                "John’s perseverance and spirit should serve as a model for us all. He was a great friend, a great senator and my thoughts go out to his family for their loss.”

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