The senator's vacancy gave Republicans the majority with 50 votes, raising concerns about Biden's nominee.
He is currently being treated at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Once he is released, he will be sent to an impatient rehabilitation facility to"conclude" his recovery, which will take a few more weeks, he added.
"Now I'm proud to report, then I'll be back on the floor of the United States Senate in just a few short weeks to vote on important legislation and to consider a Supreme Court nominee," Luján said.Dr. Michel Torbey, medical director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at the University of New Mexico Hopital, said the senator suffered a stroke in his cerebellum—the part of the brain that controls balance—and commended the senator for acting quickly.
Luján's absence already impacted some other confirmations. The Senate Commerce Committee, of which he is a member, postponed votes planned for earlier in February on nominees to the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Ben Ray Luján, seen above in October 2021, announced Sunday he will return to the U.S. Senate in time to vote on President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee.His office has faced some criticism for a lack of transparency surrounding his health—his office only announced that he had a stroke several days after it occurred.