Senator Patrick Leahy driven to hospital ‘out of caution’ after presiding over opening of Trump impeachment trial

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“Tonight, Senator Leahy was in his office on Capitol Hill and was not feeling well. He was examined at Capitol Hill by the attending physician,” his spokesperson David Carle said in a statement. “Out of caution, the attending physician recommended that he be taken to a local hospital for observation, where he is currently and where he is being evaluated.”

As President of the Senate pro tempore – the longest serving senator in the majority party – the 80-year-old Democrat from Vermont is presiding over Trump’s impeachment trial in place of Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts, who oversaw Trump’s first impeachment trial, chose not to oversee the process because Trump is no longer in office, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Senator Dick Durbin, the second-highest-ranking Senate Democrat, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Tuesday night that Leahy could be back in the chamber on Wednesday.

“Pat Leahy’s wife Marcelle is a nurse, and she’s with him, and that was just great caution,” Durbin said. “He was feeling uncomfortable, like you mentioned, so they wanted to give him a trip to the hospital so they could watch him for a little while. She says things are going well, so we all crossed paths. fingers, he’ll be back tomorrow. ”

Leahy’s hospitalization came shortly after the impeachment trial began on Tuesday afternoon with her swearing-in. Leahy was then sworn in in the rest of the Senate, and the senators went four by four to sign a “book of oaths” as jurors for the trial.

The deal reached last week by Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed back the start date for the content of the proceedings, but several trial ceremonies were held on Tuesday.

The trial is effectively suspended as impeachment officials and Trump’s legal team exchange preliminary briefs for two weeks. Final briefs are said to be due on February 9, allowing the trial to begin in earnest.

House impeachment officials, a group of Democratic lawmakers who will act as prosecutors presenting the case against Trump during the trial, delivered the lone impeachment article to the Senate on Monday, which usually triggers a rapid start of an impeachment trial. But the decision to delay the start gives Democrats more time to confirm Biden’s cabinet and potentially pass a new Covid-19 relief bill while Trump’s defense team has more time to prepare for trial .

This story has been updated with additional reports.

CNN’s Manu Raju, Jeremy Herb and Lauren Fox contributed to this report

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