Wyden May Miss Votes Due To Surgery

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced on Thursday that he will undergo surgery early next week for prostate cancer.

The Oregon Democrat was diagnosed with the disease after a routine physical last month. Thinking that the Senate would adjourn by the end of this week, he scheduled his surgery for Monday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Md.

Now, it looks like Wyden might miss one or two crucial votes on either repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, or passing the DREAM Act, which would put thousands of immigrants on a pathway toward citizenship.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) put out the following statement after Wyden made his announcement:

“Ron Wyden is respected and admired on both sides of the aisle. Every member of the Senate will keep Ron, his wife Nancy, and his entire family in our thoughts. Senator Wyden’s prognosis for a full and speedy recovery is good, and we look forward to welcoming him back here in the Senate soon so he can continue fighting for the people of Oregon.”

As of now, 61 Senators have come out in support of a bill put forth by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) aimed at repealing DADT. Should Wyden miss that vote, tentativley scheduled for Monday morning, Democrats would need to make sure that none of the Republicans who are planning on voting “yes,” change their minds.