Sen. Ruben Gallego away from Capitol Hill as his wife recovers from emergency appendectomy

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego said Thursday he will be absent from Capitol Hill while he helps his wife recover from emergency surgery.

“Yesterday, my wife underwent an emergency appendectomy. While she is doing well, I will be home helping with recovery. During this time, I will likely miss a few votes and committee hearings,” the Arizona Democrat announced from his personal account on X.

“There’s still work to be done before the Senate departs for August recess, and my office is still hard at work. I will be back on Capitol Hill as soon as I can be.”

However, there is one upcoming task he vowed not to miss: the confirmation vote of Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee.

Yesterday, my wife underwent an emergency appendectomy. While she is doing well, I will be home helping with recovery. During this time, I will likely miss a few votes and committee hearings.

There’s still work to be done before the Senate departs for August recess, and my…

— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) August 6, 2026

“I will not be missing the vote on Blanche,” Gallego responded on X after a reporter speculated that his potential absence could improve the nominee’s confirmation chances.

Gallego, who has said he is considering a run for president, and all other Democrats are poised to vote against Blanche.

That means Blanche, who has faced scrutiny regarding his ability to maintain independence from the White House during his time as acting attorney general, can only afford to lose two Republican votes if Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was hospitalized after a fall, does not return.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that she would not support Blanche because he has taken actions that “eroded the department’s independence,” including the creation of the settlement fund.

At least two other Republican senators have not said whether they will vote to confirm Blanche — Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost reelection earlier this year when Trump endorsed one of Cassidy’s primary opponents. Both declined comment when asked how they will vote.

The nomination cleared a critical hurdle Tuesday after Republican holdouts on a Senate committee were swayed to advance his nomination for a floor vote.

Tuesday’s committee vote followed a deal struck late Sunday between Blanche and Republicans John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who had been threatening to block his confirmation over the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding the president’s leaked tax returns.

It is still unclear, though, if Republicans will have enough votes in the full Senate to confirm Blanche. A vote could come by the end of the week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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