Patrick Leahy, a senator from Vermont, was brought to the hospital Thursday night after he reported “not feeling well” at his home in Washington, DC.
According to a statement from his office, he was brought in for “testing as a precaution,” hospitalized, and would be kept under observation at a hospital in the DC region overnight. His physicians advised him to spend the night.
His administration declined to say what tests were performed or if Leahy’s recent hip replacement surgery had anything to do with the hospital visit.
The veteran member, who is 82 years old and the longest-serving Democratic senator, will leave office at the end of the year after serving eight terms in the upper house.
As Senate President Pro Tempore, he is now third in line for the presidency. Additionally, he is finishing his tenure as the important Appropriations Committee’s head.
Leahy broke his hip in an accident at his McLean, Virginia, home in June, necessitating hospitalization.
He also spent a short period of time in the hospital at the beginning of 2021, endangering the Democrats’ newly slender Senate control.
Hours after starting to preside over the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in January 2021, he was rushed to the hospital. He claimed to not be feeling well.
After his fall, he had surgery in June and again in July. His staff said that a complete recovery was anticipated for him.
Since the accident and subsequent operations, he has gotten about the Capitol in a wheelchair.
Leahy has been in a number of Batman movies and television shows over his career. He played a part in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice as well as The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Dark Knight.
His wheelchair has a Batman sticker on it.
His office said on Thursday that it will “provide updates as merited.”
Until until the midterm elections later this month, the upper chamber is now on break.
In the contest to succeed Leahy in the Senate, Democratic Representative Peter Welch is favored against Republican Candidate Gerald Malloy.
Leahy will have spent 48 years in the senate by the time he departs. At the age of 34, he was initially elected to his position in 1974 after the disgraceful resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon in an attempt to escape impeachment.
Dianne Feinstein, an 89-year-old senator from California, will take over as president pro tempore if Democrats maintain their majority in the Senate. And if Republicans take over, the position will be filled by 89-year-old Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa.
Although Grassley is running in this race, it is anticipated that he will beat Mike Franken.