WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) joins the rest of the nation in mourning the death of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

CAGW President Tom Schatz released the following statement:

“America has lost a giant, and taxpayers have lost a dear friend. On behalf of the entire board and staff of CAGW, we would like to express our deep condolences and sympathies to Cindy McCain and the whole McCain family for their tragic loss.

“Sen. John McCain was, simply put, an American legend. He was a war hero over the skies of Vietnam and during the hell of captivity. After overcoming his brutal experience as a prisoner of war, he turned to public service as a congressman and then a senator from Arizona beginning in 1983. In 2008 he was the Republican nominee for President of the United States, earning nearly 60 million votes.

“During his time in the Senate, Sen. McCain was, without a doubt, the greatest legislative friend and ally that CAGW has ever known. No other member of Congress went to the lengths he did to amplify CAGW’s message against government waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. From fighting what was once a lonely battle against earmarks in the 1990s to standing against profligate spending, even from his own party, Sen. McCain was the taxpayers’ consummate champion. He was also a regular featured speaker at CAGW’s annual Congressional Pig Book press conferences, where he would magnify the outrage expressed by taxpayers across the nation at the pork-barrel spending habits of Washington. It is no exaggeration to say that without his support and efforts, CAGW would not be as strong and influential as it is today.

“Sen. McCain was fond of saying, ‘Nothing in life is more liberating than to fight for a cause larger than yourself.’ Those words are the perfect representation of Sen. McCain’s life. They rang true for him; they rang true for the throngs of waste-fighters who came after him; and they ring true for us today. Fighting for something greater than self is the legacy of Sen. John McCain. He put our country first, and inspired a generation to do the same.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.