Punchbowl put this up a few minutes ago: Punchbowl News PM:
The Senate is beginning to grapple with a new reality. With Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in the hospital after a stroke, Democrats don’t have a functioning majority. They will be unable to move anything besides non-controversial bills and nominations. As we all know, there are very few of those these days.
Senators and several sources close to the situation tell us that Luján will be ok. Luján's office, in a statement from Chief of Staff Carlos Sanchez, said the senator is still hospitalized following surgery to relieve swelling in his brain. There is no timetable for Luján's return.
This means that right now Democrats have 49 votes in the Senate and the Republicans have 50.
More from NM’s other Senator:
Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) said he did not know about the stroke until today. “My understanding is [it’s] relatively minor, but he’s still in the hospital, expecting a full recovery. … It's really easy for all of us in this business, to put this place first. And my hope is that Ben Ray will put himself first for the next few weeks so that he gets an absolute full recovery. Because I can't do this job without his help. He is such a spark plug for the state that we're all just hoping to have him back in the saddle as soon as it’s good for him.”
Tweet from Sen. Luján’s office:
It seems to have started Thursday morning, but we’re just finding out about it now. From MSN 3 hours ago — Sen. Luján suffers stroke, expected to make 'full recovery':
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico is expected to make a full recovery after suffering a stroke and being hospitalized last week, when he began to experience dizziness and fatigue, according to his chief of staff.
The 49-year-old Democrat checked himself into a hospital in Santa Fe on Thursday. His chief of staff, Carlos Sanchez, said the senator was then transferred to a hospital in Albuquerque for further evaluation.
“Senator Luján was found to have suffered a stroke in the cerebellum, affecting his balance,” the statement released Tuesday said. “As part of his treatment plan, he subsequently underwent decompressive surgery to ease swelling.”
A decompressive craniectomy temporarily removes a piece of the skull to allow a swelling brain room to expand.
His office added that Luján is still in the hospital but is expected to make a full recovery.
Schumer said only that he didn’t learn about it from the newspapers.
This pretty much shuts down the Senate for now. At a time when they had planned a busy schedule.
More from WaPo: Sen. Luján suffers stroke, expected to make full recovery, his office says:
Though Luján reportedly suffered the stroke on Thursday, key Democrats said they only learned of his illness Tuesday, including Sen. Martin Heinrich, his fellow New Mexico Democrat, and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the majority whip, who was informed in the Capitol hallways by reporters.
In other Senate medical news:
Also on Tuesday, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) announced that he has tested positive for covid-19 and plans to remain in quarantine through Sunday. Another Senate Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, tested positive last week and is also working remotely.
About Sen. Luján’s condition:
Heinrich said he had not spoken to Lujan and did not have detailed information on his condition or prognosis: “My understanding is, relatively minor, but he’s still in the hospital and expecting a full recovery.”
Asked when Luján might return to work, Heinrich said, “That’s a question for him and his doctor. … My hope is that Ben Ray will put himself first for the next few weeks so he gets an absolutely full recovery, because I can’t do this job without his help.”
We wish him, and Hoeven and Romney, speedy recoveries.