Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee Won’t Be Present for House Votes After Undergoing Cancer Surgery

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) speaks at a press conference in Washington in a 2016 file photograph. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) remains in hospital and will miss out on various votes in the U.S. House of Representatives after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his tonsil, his office said in a statement on April 17.

“This afternoon, the Congressman had a surgery to remove a small cancerous tumor found in his tonsil,” Kildee’s chief of staff, Mitchell Rivard, said.

“He is expected to remain at George Washington University Hospital for the next several days as a part of the normal recovery process. Later in the week, the Congressman is expected to continue his recovery at home,” the statement added.

Kildee, 64, announced on March 31 that he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma following a preventive scan that prompted additional tests.

At the time, the Democratic congressman said he planned to have surgery to remove the cancer, adding that the prognosis after surgery and treatment is “excellent.”

In Monday’s statement, Kildee’s chief of staff said the congressman is “thankful to have caught his cancer diagnosis early and appreciates the care of his great team of doctors.”

Kildee was first elected to Congress in 2012 and represents Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. He is co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

Due to his surgery and the time needed to recover, Kildee will not be present for various votes in the U.S. House of Representatives but will instead submit written statements for the record to the House Clerk for any missed recorded votes “to keep his constituents updated on his positions,” his office said.

“The Congressman’s district office and Washington, D.C. office remain open and able to assist constituents,” the statement continued. “The Congressman, his wife Jennifer, and the Kildee family have been touched by all the kind notes and well wishes since his diagnosis. The Congressman thanks his constituents and colleagues in Congress for their continued support.”

Cancer Diagnosis ‘Never Easy to Hear’

Speaking about his diagnosis in March, Kildee acknowledged that “It’s never easy to hear the words you have cancer” but said he knows “so many other families” that have gone through a cancer diagnosis and is adamant he will beat it.

Kildee’s surgery to remove the cancerous tumor comes after fellow Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) revealed in March that he had undergone successful surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to remove gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.

“My prognosis is good. I expect to be home recovering in Texas for several weeks before returning to Washington to continue my work,” the congressman, 48, said in a statement.

In February, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) also gave an update on his cancer treatment after sharing in December that he had been diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma, a serious but curable form of cancer.

Raskin said he was midway through his treatment, having undergone three of six rounds of chemotherapy, before thanking his supporters for their kind words and gifts.

“So I just wanted to say thank you to the team at PCCC and to all of you guys out there from Alaska to Florida, Hawaii to Maine,” Raskin said. “I’ve got my own constitutional preamble bandana. I’ve got flag hats. I’ve got people’s own chemo hats that worked for them, from a place called Alex’s Lemonade Stand. I got some bandanas. So my cup runneth over. And of course, a bunch of people sent me my own true blue Democrat mask.”

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the type of cancer Kildee has. The Epoch Times regrets the error.