GOP Rep. Greg Murphy discloses tumor in his skull, will be absent from House for surgery

GOP Rep. Greg Murphy announced on Tuesday that he has a likely benign tumor in the base of his skull and will be absent from Congress as he undergoes surgery.

“After a series of tests and scans, I have been diagnosed with a base of skull tumor called a pituitary macroadenoma. It is thought to be a benign tumor, however, given its size and location, and its subsequent ability to affect vital structures in the brain, I am scheduled to have it surgically removed,” the North Carolina Republican said in a statement on social media.

Murphy added that “the prognosis is excellent, and I hope to be back to work full-time soon.”

His absence further narrows House Speaker Mike Johnson’s historically thin majority to 216 Republicans and 213 Democrats in the chamber — though impending special elections should help extend the GOP’s advantage.

“As a physician I have, for the last 30 years, taken care of thousands and thousands of patients. It is now my turn to be one,” he said, adding, “As every patient should, I have the utmost faith in my physicians and surgeons to get me through this and back on the road to full recovery.”

Murphy, who represents North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, was sworn into office in 2019 after serving in the state House. The practicing physician still sees patients a “few days a month,” according to his House biography.

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