Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) will be absent from the Senate for several weeks as he undergoes rehabilitation following a stroke, his office announced Friday, narrowing Democrats already slim numbers in the chamber as lawmakers return to Washington.
According to Breitbart, Murphy, 53, was discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital, nearly a week after he experienced arm numbness while watching his sons hockey game and doctors discovered bleeding in his thalamus. The Connecticut Democrat said he immediately called 911 after realizing something was wrong and has not yet announced a date for his return to the Capitol.
In order to take my recovery seriously and get back to work on the quickest timeline possible, I will be spending several weeks at a rehabilitation center after being discharged from the hospital today, Murphy said in a statement. The doctors are very encouraged by the progress Ive made so far, Murphy added, as Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at Johns Hopkins, characterized the incident as a small hemorrhagic stroke.
Murphys office first revealed the stroke on November 1, when chief of staff Allison Herwitt said he had been taken to a local hospital before being transferred to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring. At that time, Herwitt reported that the senator was conscious, alert, and responding to treatment, suggesting a relatively favorable prognosis despite the seriousness of the diagnosis.
Murphys absence will leave Democrats with one fewer reliable vote during the post-election session, at a moment when Republicans hold 53 seats and Democrats, along with two independents who caucus with them, control 47. That margin could influence tightly contested votes on nominations and other matters requiring only a simple majority, even though the standard 60-vote threshold to break a legislative filibuster remains unchanged and continues to serve as a check on sweeping partisan legislation.
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