Sen. Orrin Hatch says he’ll decide soon if he’ll seek an eighth term — and his health will be a key factor, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The Utah Republican, the third oldest member of the Senate, told the newspaper that he’ll make up his mind this fall, the outlet reported.
“I’ve always been very active,” Hatch told the Tribune, referring to himself as a “tough old bird.”
“I feel good. I work hard. And yeah, I feel it a lot more. I’m older but you know, nothing stops me. I keep going. I get a lot done here. I don’t think anybody doubts that.”
The newspaper reported the attending physician of the Senate, Dr. Brian Monahan, responded to a request for a letter on Hatch’s health, saying the senator’s blood pressure, cholesterol and blood work were normal at his last visit in 2016.
The doctor said Hatch has decreased hearing and his eyes have suffered from “routine cataract and glaucoma surgery,” the newspaper reported.
Otherwise, Monahan wrote, “You are in overall good health and active in your professional work, and recreational lifestyle with minimal limitation,” the newspaper reported.
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