Nancy Pelosi undergoes hip replacement surgery after a fall in Luxembourg
LUXEMBOURG, Germany - Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, was taken to the hospital in Europe Friday and underwent hip replacement surgery.
Ian Krager, her spokesperson, sent out a statement saying that she was traveling with a Congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg, Germany, when she suffered some type of injury.
He later added she "is well on the mend."
A person familiar with what happened told the Associated Press that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly.
"Speaker Emerita Pelosi is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals," the statement said.
However, Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, will not be able to attend the rest of the tour.
The visit to Luxembourg, hosted by the current House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-Louisiana) was announced to commemorate the battle with a bipartisan group of nearly 20 lawmakers.
Among those on the trip was Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who posted on social media Friday that he was "praying for a speedy recovery," for Pelosi. The two lawmakers were captured holding hands in a group photo that day at the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg.
The Battle of the Bulge started on Dec. 16, 1944, when German forces launched a surprise attack on Allied forces in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. The battle lasted until Jan. 16, 1945, after the Allied counteroffensive forced German troops to withdraw.
Many, including Winston Churchill, said the Battle of the Bulge was the U.S. Army's greatest struggle to deny Adolf Hitler's last chance for victory.
Pelosi "conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe," the statement read, adding that she had several family members who fought in World War II — including her uncle, Johnny.
Pelosi should return to the United States soon, the statement said.
Pelosi previously led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Belgium and Luxembourg to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in 2019.
Pelosi, who was first elected in 1987 and served as speaker twice, stepped down from her leadership post two years ago but remained in Congress and was re-elected to represent her San Francisco district in November.
In a separate incident, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, 82, fell outside a Senate party luncheon on Tuesday and sprained his wrist and cut his face. He immediately returned to work in the Capitol in the hours afterward, but his office said Thursday that he is experiencing stiffness in his leg from the fall and will work from home.
This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.