President Joe Biden may have caused the nation to worry after showing signs of serious cognitive decline at Thursday’s debate, but he’s not the only one aging publicly.
Sen. Dick Durbin, 79, had major surgery Thursday. As the majority whip, the Illinois Democrat is the second-ranking senator, behind only Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Durbin underwent a left hip replacement surgery at a RUSH University-affiliated medical center in Oak Brook, a suburb of Chicago. He announced the procedure in a statement.
He’s been there before. In October, Durbin underwent a knee replacement at the same facility.
“I’m grateful to the medical staff at RUSH for today’s successful procedure, and I look forward to a speedy recovery and climbing the Capitol steps again as soon as possible,” Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, said in a statement.
The senator’s recovery period means he must remaining in Illinois until medical professionals clear him for travel to Washington, D.C. This repeated absence from the nation’s capital highlights the personal health concerns and the demands of high-level political responsibilities, particularly for senior members of Congress.
Durbin has served in Congress for more than four decades. First elected to the House in the early 1980s, he won a Senate election in 1996. He’s currently midway through his fifth term, set to end after the 2026 elections. He currently chairs the powerful Judiciary Committee.
With this surgery, Durbin has drawn attention to the broader issue of aging in politics. As the average age of U.S. senators continues to rise, questions about health, stamina, and succession planning become increasingly important in the political discourse.
The Democrats have come under fire for their record on this issue.
Democrat stalwarts like Sen. Ted Kennedy, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have all died in office recently.