A 76-year-old Democrat Rep. John Larson (D-CT) froze in the middle of delivering a House floor speech, requiring immediate emergency care.
According to a statement from is office, the health scare was due to a new medication Larson was taking.
The scary scene happened during a speech Larson was delivering criticizing the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) when he abruptly stopped talking.
Lardon appeared to struggle as he tried to get back to speaking.
Larson was eventually told that his speaking time had expired as he slowly flipped through some papers.
WTNH News 8 in New Haven, Connecticut gave a statement from Larson’s office on what transpired on the House floor.
“Congressman Larson appreciates the well wishes from everyone who has reached out. This afternoon, he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution,” Larson’s office said.
“He later participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged,” Larson’s team continued. “The Congressman remains in touch with his staff and in good spirits.”
Here’s complete footage of the incident.
The news of Larson’s emergency went viral on social media, with many wishing him well.
However, many also brought up renewed talks of term limits and retirement as this was the third medical incident caught on Capitol Hill in the past month.
In addition to Larson’s scare, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to use a walker after she required hip surgery from a fall she suffered in an overseas event.
And last week, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell fell twice and was forced to leave the Capitol in a wheelchair.
The late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) had been pressured to step down over concerns about her health up until she died at the age of 90 in 2023.
Larson’s position is unique as it was reported by CT Insider last summer that Connecticut’s delegation was among the nation’s oldest in the run-up to the 2024 election with the age of 66 being the average of its members in the House and Senate.
Larson, who was then 75, was quoted defending the senior nature of himself and his colleagues.
“Provided you’re able to deliver and you’re able to carry out the responsibility in a system that’s based on seniority, this is a very good thing both for the state of Connecticut and for New England currently,” Larson said.