Ailing Rep. Walter Jones in rehab for a broken hip, will miss more votes
Jones was sworn into the new Congress earlier this month at his home in Farmville, North Carolina
Rep. Walter Jones underwent surgery for a broken hip Tuesday, amid reports that the North Carolina Republican is coping with mounting health problems.
Jones received care at the Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, after he sustained a broken hip at his Farmville home on Monday, a spokesman said.
The injury was first reported by the News & Observer.
“The congressman has started the rehabilitation process and is grateful to all involved for the care he’s received,” his office said in a statement.
The 3rd District Republican has missed votes since September with an unspecified illness. His office has shared few details about his health status.
News of his surgery follows reports earlier this month that the 75-year-old congressman fell ill with a chest cold. Jones’ wife told TV station WITN the congressman was in bed with a cold, “on top of everything else,” without going into details.
Jones was sworn into the new Congress earlier this month at his Farmville home by another member of the North Carolina delegation, Democratic Rep. G.K. Butterfield, according to the News & Observer.
In an interview before the injury, Butterfield told the paper that Jones has “got some health challenges, but it appears he’s on the road to recovery.”
A spokesman in December said Jones was “looking forward to getting back to the Capitol in January,” after the Congressional Record showed House colleagues granted Jones a leave of absence for the remainder of the 115th term by unanimous consent.
Jones missed every vote in November and December. He missed about a quarter of all votes from July to September.
Jones said during his primary election that after nearly 24 years in Congress, the upcoming term will be his last.
“I think if I should be lucky enough to go back on another term there are issues and things I want to continue to work on,” Jones said during the campaign. He listed reducing the national debt and withdrawing forces from Afghanistan as priorities, according to the Daily Reflector.
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