WASHINGTON — House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reportedly fractured her hip while traveling in Luxembourg and is currently in the hospital.
Pelosi’s office said only that she “sustained an injury” while on a bipartisan delegation to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, a pivotal World War II battle. But The New York Times has reported that Pelosi fractured her hip, a serious and potentially dangerous injury for older adults.
“While traveling with a bipartisan Congressional delegation in Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation,” Pelosi spokesman Ian Krager said in a Friday statement.
“Speaker Emerita Pelosi is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals,” said Krager. “She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL engagements to honor the courage of our servicemembers during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation’s history.”
The Times reported that Pelosi tripped while walking down marble stairs at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City and “took a hard fall.”
The Times also spoke to two people close to Pelosi who anonymously confirmed that she had fractured her hip. Those people said that Pelosi’s doctors believe the injury can be fixed with surgery, though it is not clear whether that will take place in Luxembourg or the United States.
Pelosi, who is 84 and has represented San Francisco in the House since 1987, stepped down as Democratic leader after the 2022 midterm elections ― a departure that was announced before it was clear her party would lose control of the House. She has held her seat in Congress, however, keeping an active schedule that included a successful, behind-the-scenes role in pushing President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
The health risks facing aging members of Congress have become a bigger issue in recent years as the number of House members and senators in their 80s and 90s has grown.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), 82, who has had a number of public health scares, fell on Tuesday following a Senate luncheon. The fall left him with a cut on his face and a sprained wrist.
McConnell, whose seventh term ends in 2026, announced he would step down as Republican Senate leader in February. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) will succeed him when Republicans assume majority control in January.
