North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, 64, was hospitalized after suffering “a severe concussion, a seizure and a slight brain bleed” after a fall outside his home Sunday afternoon. The timeline for his recovery and return to work in Congress is unclear.
Cramer is just the latest casualty among elderly lawmakers in recent months, which has intensified discussions about age and term limits for office. At least four senior lawmakers have experienced serious medical issues in just the past month.
“Late yesterday afternoon, I walked to my backyard intending to retrieve a piece of conduit which came off my dock and was laying on the ice,” Cramer wrote in a statement on Monday afternoon. “While walking on the hill down to the dock, I stepped on ice and evidently fell hard, hitting the back of my head. I do not remember anything from the fall until arriving at Sanford Health emergency room with [wife] Kris.”
“After seeing the emergency doctor, taking some tests, including a CT Scan, and seeing a neurologist, I was diagnosed with a severe concussion, a seizure, and a slight brain bleed,” his statement continued.
“The wound on my head wouldn’t stop oozing, so the doctor punched a couple of staples on the laceration and admitted me,” Cramer said. “I had a good night sleep before getting a second CT Scan. I am better today with only a slight brain bleed and pretty bad headaches. Doctors prefer I rest a little longer before returning to DC, so I do not know exactly when that will happen. It will be day to day this week, but I am ready to return quickly if events require it.”
Cramer’s hospitalization follows multiple serious health scares among senior lawmakers. Earlier this month, former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, required emergency assistance after falling twice in one day — first on steps leaving the Senate chamber and again during a lunch meeting when he “fell while carrying a plate of food and landed on his side,” according to reports. He was later seen being taken out of the Capitol Building in a wheelcahir.
Democratic Rep. John Larson, 76, froze and almost collapsed after he suffered a complex partial seizure February 10th while speaking on the House floor. The 13-term congressman’s office confirmed the diagnosis following medical evaluation.
And former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi returned to Congress using a walker after a December emergency hip replacement surgery. Pelosi, 84, fell down the stairs during a congressional trip to Luxembourg.
Late last year, Republican Rep. Kay Granger, 81, was found inside a $4,000-per-month memory care facility after going missing from Congress for six months. Granger had been institutionalized after she was discovered wandering lost in her neighborhood, but her staff never reported her mental incapacity.
The average age of Congress members currently stands at 58, with senators averaging 64 years old. The standard retirement age for Americans is 65 years old.
Five lawmakers over 84 years old serve in the current session, including Eleanor Norton and Hal Rogers (87), Maxine Waters (86), Steny Hoyer (85), and Pelosi (84).
Conservative columnist Benny Johnson reflected growing public demands for Congressional term limits after the news.
“Mitch McConnell in a wheelchair. Nancy Pelosi with a walker. This is just sad. Term limits are needed for the health and wellbeing of elected officials,” he wrote on X.
Mitch McConnell in a wheelchair.
Nancy Pelosi with a walker.
This is just sad.
Term limits are needed for the health and wellbeing of elected officials. pic.twitter.com/2V1lrp6WeW
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 6, 2025
Despite his injuries and advanced age, Cramer indicated he could return to Washington quickly if needed.
“Doctors prefer I rest a little longer before returning to DC, so I do not know exactly when that will happen. It will be day to day this week, but I am ready to return quickly if events require it,” he wrote.
The Senate will continue confirming Trump nominees this week with Republicans maintaining their 53-seat majority despite Cramer’s absence.