The president was beneath anesthesia throughout a colonoscopy Friday. The process was a part of Biden’s first routine bodily as president.
BETHESDA, Md. — President Joe Biden briefly transferred energy to Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday whereas he underwent a routine colonoscopy, establishing a history-making second as Harris grew to become the primary lady to carry that authority through the quick time she stepped in as appearing president.
President Joe Biden, 78, the oldest particular person to function president, transferred energy to Harris, the primary lady, particular person of shade and particular person of South Asian descent to be vp, for one hour and 25 minutes, whereas he was beneath anesthesia at Walter Reed Nationwide Army Medical Middle. He turns 79 on Saturday. Press secretary Jen Psaki stated Biden resumed his duties after talking with Harris and White Home chief of workers Ron Klain at roughly 11:35 a.m.
Curiosity in Biden’s well being has been excessive ever since he declared his candidacy for the White Home in 2019 and stays intense as hypothesis a few 2024 reelection bid swirls. The go to to the medical heart within the Washington suburbs was for his first routine bodily examination as president — and his first since December 2019.
Whereas serving as appearing president Harris was working from her workplace within the West Wing, Psaki stated. She later traveled to Ohio as soon as Biden awoke from the process.
Biden was keenly conscious of the historical past he was making when he chosen Harris to be his working mate, Psaki stated, including that she made “historical past daily” within the job.
“Right this moment was definitely one other chapter in that historical past I believe that will likely be famous for girls, younger ladies throughout the nation,” she added.
Throughout Biden’s final bodily examination, docs discovered the previous vp to be “wholesome, vigorous” and “match to efficiently execute the duties of the Presidency,” in response to a physician’s report on the time.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who has been Biden’s major care doctor since 2009, wrote in a three-page notice that the then-presidential candidate was in total fine condition.
In that report, O’Connor stated that since 2003, Biden has had episodes of atrial fibrillation, a kind of irregular heartbeat that’s probably critical however treatable. On the time, O’Connor cited an inventory of assessments that confirmed Biden’s coronary heart was functioning usually and his solely wanted care was a blood thinner to forestall probably the most worrisome threat, blood clots or stroke.
Biden had a brush with loss of life in 1988, requiring surgical procedure to restore two mind aneurysms, weak bulges in arteries, certainly one of them leaking. Biden has by no means had a recurrence, his physician stated, citing a take a look at in 2014 that examined his arteries.
Pursuant to the twenty fifth Modification to the Structure, Biden signed letters to Sen. Patrick Leahy, who’s president professional tempore of the Senate, and to Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi at 10:10 a.m., saying he can be unable to discharge his duties whereas beneath anesthesia, making Harris the appearing president. Biden despatched them every one other letter upon the conclusion of the process to renew his duties at 11:35 a.m.
“As was the case when President George W. Bush had the identical process in 2002 and 2007, and following the method set out within the Structure, President Biden will switch energy to the Vice President for the transient time frame when he’s beneath anesthesia,” Psaki stated earlier than Biden’s colonoscopy.
On Friday afternoon, Biden is scheduled to participate within the annual pardoning of the nationwide Thanksgiving turkey.
When Biden took workplace he introduced O’Connor again to the White Home to proceed serving as his physician, and O’Connor was anticipated to have led a workforce of consultants in conducting Biden’s bodily examination Friday.
As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, Biden’s workforce took intense steps to maintain the then-candidate and now-president wholesome because the virus raged and took a disproportionate toll amongst older populations. Biden obtained his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020 and his second dose simply two weeks earlier than taking workplace. He obtained a booster dose, which regulators say gives extra enduring safety, in late September.
Psaki stated Biden’s physician’s would launch a “complete written abstract” of his bodily, as is customary for presidents and presidential candidates. Former President Donald Trump, 75, was sharply criticized for releasing solely cursory particulars on his well being whereas working and serving within the White Home, together with concealing the seriousness of his COVID-19 sickness a month earlier than the 2020 presidential election.
