U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), after recently suffering a stroke, is expecting to return to Congress “in just a few short weeks,” the Daily Caller reported. 

Lujan indicated as much in a video that he posted to social media on Sunday. The video was filmed at the University of New Mexico hospital where Lujan has been receiving treatment.

Background

Lujan was hospitalized on January 27, 2022, after suffering a stroke in his cerebellum. On February 1, Carlos Sanchez, Lujan’s chief of staff, put out a statement explaining what happened.

Sanchez wrote:

Early Thursday morning, Sen. Lujan began experiencing dizziness and fatigue. He checked himself into Christus St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Santa Fe. He was then transferred to UNM Hospital in Albuquerque for further evaluation.

The statement continues:

Sen. Lujan was found to have suffered a stroke in the cerebellum, affecting his balance. As part of his treatment plan, he subsequently underwent decompressive surgery to ease swelling.

Sanchez added that Lujan, even back then, was “expected to make a full recovery.” And now, a couple of weeks later, this remains to be the case.

The latest

In his newly-released video, Lujan provided an update on his situation.

“I’m doing well: I’m strong,” he said. “I’m back on the road to recovery. I’m going to make a full recovery, I’m going to walk out of here, and I’m going to beat this.”

As for a timeline, Lujan said that he expects to return to Congress “in just a few short weeks.” For now, though, he said that he will be discharged from the hospital and that he will continue to be treated at an in-patient facility.

Lujan, in the video, also thanked his doctors, two of whom appeared in the video alongside him. The doctors also warned viewers of the importance of seeking medical care in an emergency situation, such as the one experienced by Lujan.

The elephant in the room

Given the current makeup of the U.S. Senate, with the 50 to 50 split, Lujan’s absence means that his fellow Democrats do not have the votes needed to pass any controversial legislation or to confirm any controversial nominees to important government positions.

Accordingly, Lujan’s video likely allowed his fellow Democrats to breathe a sigh of relief.