Murphy to Miss Senate Votes After Stroke Recovery Begins
The Connecticut senator was discharged from a hospital Friday after a hemorrhagic stroke, with doctors expecting a full recovery following weeks of rehabilitation.
By Fatou Kim ·
Sen. Chris Murphy, 53, spent the final hours of his hospital stay before leaving for a rehabilitation center Friday. He will remain in care for several weeks, a timeline that places his return to the Senate floor after Congress resumes on Monday.
The senator suffered the medical emergency at his son’s hockey game last Saturday afternoon. Murphy stated he felt something was wrong with his body and called 9-1-1 out of an abundance of caution. Medical staff at The Johns Hopkins Hospital diagnosed him with a small hemorrhagic stroke, specifically a bleed in the thalamus region of his brain.
Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of Neurosciences Critical Care at Johns Hopkins, released a statement describing the stroke as small. He noted that Murphy has shown tremendous progress. Based on the current rate of improvement, Suarez expects the senator to make a full recovery after completing his rehabilitation.
Murphy described the event as a scary experience for his family. He expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support received over the last few days. The senator emphasized that he is taking his recovery seriously to return to work on the quickest timeline possible.
While recovering, Murphy is staying engaged with his team and colleagues remotely. His staff continues to carry out legislative priorities and serve constituents. This arrangement ensures the work of his office proceeds without interruption during his absence.
The stroke occurred three days before a stunning election result in which Democratic candidates won enough races to flip the Senate and House of Representatives from Republican majority control in January. Murphy was not up for reelection this year, but he had been campaigning for Democratic candidates in Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida prior to his illness.
He was scheduled to campaign in New Hampshire on Sunday with Rep. Chris Pappas. Pappas won election to the Senate on Tuesday. Murphy’s medical event now interrupts his post-election activities as he begins his recovery period.
