Democratic congressman has surgery to remove cancerous tumor in his tonsil

By Jack Forrest and Brian Rokus, CNN

Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan had surgery Monday to remove a small cancerous tumor in his tonsil, his office said.

Kildee, who announced last month that he’d been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, will stay at George Washington University Hospital “for the next several days as part of the normal recovery process,” his chief of staff, Mitchell Rivard, said in a statement, adding that he’d continue his recovery at home later in the week.

Kildee will miss House votes while he recovers. “During this time, the Congressman will be submitting written statements for the record to the House Clerk for any missed recorded votes, to keep his constituents updated on his positions,” Rivard said.

In announcing his diagnosis, Kildee said he’d scheduled what he had thought would be a “preventative scan for a swollen lymph node.” Following additional testing, however, he received his diagnosis. “Thankfully, I caught it very early,” he said.

“The prognosis after surgery and treatment is excellent,” Kildee said at the time. “I am going to get through this. I’m going to beat cancer.”

First elected to congress in 2012, Kildee currently represents Michigan’s 8th Congressional District and is co-chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

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CNN’s Clare Foran contributed to this report.