Jun 30, 2022
The Democrats in the U.S. Senate have at least temporarily lost their slim-as-could-be majority as Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont heads into surgery Thursday after suffering a broken hip.
A statement from Leahy's office said the 82-year-old lawmaker "will undergo surgery to repair a broken hip that he suffered as a result from a fall at his house in McLean, Virginia, Wednesday night."
"Having been born blind in one eye," the statement continued, "the Senator has had a lifelong struggle with reduced depth perception." It said Leahy "has taken some remarkable dingers over the years but this one finally caught up with him."
Leahy's doctors said immediate surgery would be the best course of action, according to the statement, and that a "healthy course of physical therapy" following his surgery would lead to a full recovery.
With the U.S. Senate split evenly 50-50, and Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaker for Democrats, having Leahy out for even a short stint would make passing any legislation more difficult for the majority.
As messages wishing Leahy a speedy recovery poured in on social media, concern for what this means for Democratic power in the Senate going forward was also immediate:
\u201cSeems like it could be over for the Senate Dems now. This could mean they effectively lost their majority.\u201d— Matt Stoller (@Matt Stoller) 1656586412
"End the filibuster!" declared Matt Stoller, an author and policy expert. "Also get Leahy a hip replacement!"
Others pointed to the fact that with Thursday being the last day at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Stephen Breyer, and his replacement Ketanji Brown Jackson being sworn in at noon, the Democrats dodged a bullet at least in terms of that appointment.
"Imagine how nervously we'd be approaching a summer SCOTUS confirmation battle if Breyer had only just this week retired, having waited til the end of the term," said Brian Fallon of the advocacy group Demand Justice. "Instead, KBJ gets sworn in today, having had a smooth process that earned GOP votes thanks to Breyer announcing early."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Democrats in the U.S. Senate have at least temporarily lost their slim-as-could-be majority as Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont heads into surgery Thursday after suffering a broken hip.
A statement from Leahy's office said the 82-year-old lawmaker "will undergo surgery to repair a broken hip that he suffered as a result from a fall at his house in McLean, Virginia, Wednesday night."
"Having been born blind in one eye," the statement continued, "the Senator has had a lifelong struggle with reduced depth perception." It said Leahy "has taken some remarkable dingers over the years but this one finally caught up with him."
Leahy's doctors said immediate surgery would be the best course of action, according to the statement, and that a "healthy course of physical therapy" following his surgery would lead to a full recovery.
With the U.S. Senate split evenly 50-50, and Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaker for Democrats, having Leahy out for even a short stint would make passing any legislation more difficult for the majority.
As messages wishing Leahy a speedy recovery poured in on social media, concern for what this means for Democratic power in the Senate going forward was also immediate:
\u201cSeems like it could be over for the Senate Dems now. This could mean they effectively lost their majority.\u201d— Matt Stoller (@Matt Stoller) 1656586412
"End the filibuster!" declared Matt Stoller, an author and policy expert. "Also get Leahy a hip replacement!"
Others pointed to the fact that with Thursday being the last day at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Stephen Breyer, and his replacement Ketanji Brown Jackson being sworn in at noon, the Democrats dodged a bullet at least in terms of that appointment.
"Imagine how nervously we'd be approaching a summer SCOTUS confirmation battle if Breyer had only just this week retired, having waited til the end of the term," said Brian Fallon of the advocacy group Demand Justice. "Instead, KBJ gets sworn in today, having had a smooth process that earned GOP votes thanks to Breyer announcing early."
The Democrats in the U.S. Senate have at least temporarily lost their slim-as-could-be majority as Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont heads into surgery Thursday after suffering a broken hip.
A statement from Leahy's office said the 82-year-old lawmaker "will undergo surgery to repair a broken hip that he suffered as a result from a fall at his house in McLean, Virginia, Wednesday night."
"Having been born blind in one eye," the statement continued, "the Senator has had a lifelong struggle with reduced depth perception." It said Leahy "has taken some remarkable dingers over the years but this one finally caught up with him."
Leahy's doctors said immediate surgery would be the best course of action, according to the statement, and that a "healthy course of physical therapy" following his surgery would lead to a full recovery.
With the U.S. Senate split evenly 50-50, and Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaker for Democrats, having Leahy out for even a short stint would make passing any legislation more difficult for the majority.
As messages wishing Leahy a speedy recovery poured in on social media, concern for what this means for Democratic power in the Senate going forward was also immediate:
\u201cSeems like it could be over for the Senate Dems now. This could mean they effectively lost their majority.\u201d— Matt Stoller (@Matt Stoller) 1656586412
"End the filibuster!" declared Matt Stoller, an author and policy expert. "Also get Leahy a hip replacement!"
Others pointed to the fact that with Thursday being the last day at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Stephen Breyer, and his replacement Ketanji Brown Jackson being sworn in at noon, the Democrats dodged a bullet at least in terms of that appointment.
"Imagine how nervously we'd be approaching a summer SCOTUS confirmation battle if Breyer had only just this week retired, having waited til the end of the term," said Brian Fallon of the advocacy group Demand Justice. "Instead, KBJ gets sworn in today, having had a smooth process that earned GOP votes thanks to Breyer announcing early."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.