Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) was released from the hospital over the weekend following a “successful surgery” to remove a cancerous tumor on his tonsil, he announced Saturday.
Kildee was admitted to the George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Monday for a planned procedure to remove a “small cancerous tumor found in his tonsil,” his office said at the time, just two weeks after announcing his squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis. The 64-year-old lawmaker said Saturday his doctors had given him an “excellent” prognosis and that he would head home to Michigan to recover before returning to Congress.
MICHIGAN REP. DAN KILDEE UNDERGOES SURGERY TO TREAT CANCER
“I am happy to be leaving the hospital after a successful surgery to remove a small cancerous tumor,” Kildee wrote on social media. “I want to thank my great team of doctors who provided excellent care. I continue to be grateful that I caught my cancer diagnosis early thanks to a preventative scan.”
“As I continue to recover from my surgery at home, I want to thank my constituents for their continued support,” he continued. “And I would like to thank my talented and dedicated staff, who are continuing to serve the people of the Eighth District as I recuperate. I look forward to being back voting in Congress and traveling the district soon.”
Kildee currently serves as the co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. He also serves on the highly influential House Ways and Means Committee. He succeeded his uncle, former Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), in holding his House of Representatives seat in 2013.
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Republicans control the House 222-212, which is identical to the majority Democrats had in the last Congress. Kildee’s absence, similar to Rep. Jamie Raskin’s (D-MD) for treatment of a different form of cancer, does not impact how the chamber will operate.
This stands in contrast to the Senate, where Democrats only control the chamber by a 51-49 margin. This means that one absence gives Republicans an opportunity to block President Joe Biden’s nominees and legislative efforts. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) continued absence from the body has essentially paralyzed the Senate Judiciary Committee, leading to some calls for her resignation as Biden’s judicial nominees stall.