Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) says he experienced a “complex partial seizure” on Monday when he froze up and struggled to get words out during a House floor speech.
“Yesterday, at around noon, I experienced a medical incident on the House floor, when my speech momentarily paused,” reads a statement from Larson posted to X on Tuesday. “Following the incident, I saw the House Attending Physician, Dr. Monahan, who referred me for further evaluation.”
The 76-year-old added that he had undergone a heart valve replacement fifteen years ago “due to a variation in the shape of my aortic valve that I was born with.”
“Sometimes, people with this condition can later develop symptoms such as the momentary change in speech or movement that was apparent yesterday,” he continued.
He said doctors had since prescribed medication that is supposed to “greatly reduce the chance of this happening again.”
He intends to resume an “active schedule,” including his duties as his congressman, from Wednesday, he added.
The incident took place Monday as Larson was highlighting concerns about Social Security, after the Trump administration gained access to Treasury Department systems containing Americans’ personal data.
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Midway through a sentence, Larson stopped speaking abruptly, and then slurred words as he attempted to continue. The episode appeared to last about a minute.
The lawmaker’s office said afterwards he “had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication.”
Larson has served in Congress for more than two decades, representing a district in Hartford.