Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has been admitted to a Washington area hospital for antibiotic infusions to address an infection, his office said on Tuesday.
Mr. Grassley’s office said in a statement that “he is in good spirits and will return to work as soon as possible following doctors’ orders.”
No further information concerning his state was provided in the statement.
He will be absent during the Tuesday vote to pass a short-term spending bill, which aims to avoid a government shutdown.
A prominent Republican serving Iowa, Mr. Grassley became the oldest member of the U.S. Senate, aged 90, after the death of Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who was three months older.
Mr. Grassley has served in the U.S. Senate since 1980.
He is currently the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.
Previously, he held the position of president pro tempore of the Senate until 2021, when the Democrats took control. As president pro tempore, he presided over the chamber, opened proceedings every day, and was third in line for presidential succession.
Mr. Grassley’s political career began in 1956, when he was elected to the Iowa state Legislature at the age of 23. He served 18 years in the Statehouse before being elected to the U.S. House in 1974.
He was previously hospitalized this time last year for hip surgery, and briefly used a scooter to get around.
