Burr to Miss Votes Due to Surgery

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., announced this week that he will take a brief absence from Washington as he recovers from hip surgery and will miss the votes that take place in the Senate this week.

"As the Senate returns to Washington, I will unfortunately miss this week of votes as I am home in North Carolina recovering from hip replacement surgery," Burr said in a statement Monday. "The procedure was successful, and I'm doing well. I'll be closely monitoring votes during my absence and look forward to rejoining my colleagues in Congress next week."

According to The Hill, the Senate must pass government funding as well as reauthorize user fees for the Food and Drug Administration before the end of the month. Burr, as the Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has been one of the leading figures in negotiations over FDA fees.

Burr is set to retire at the end of his term next year, with Republican Rep. Ted Budd and former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat, facing off for Burr's seat in the upcoming midterm elections.

• Sen. Burr Calls Biden Admin’s Monkeypox Response ‘Behind the Curve’ in Letter to HHS
• Sen. Burr Presses Biden's CDC on Reasons For Rescinding Title 42