Senator’s Absence Worries Democrats as Gun Votes Near

Mr. Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat and the oldest member of the Senate at 89, has been out for weeks dealing with health complications partly from cancer treatment he received several years ago.

But with Democrats scrambling to come up with enough votes to overcome resistance to the most sweeping gun-control legislation in a generation, Mr. Lautenberg’s presence (or absence) is shaping up to be critically important.

Aides insist that Mr. Lautenberg, who has been undergoing physical therapy for weeks, will try to get to Washington once the voting begins on the assortment of gun-safety measures, which are expected to come to the floor in the coming weeks.

Mr. Lautenberg’s aides say he is eager to return, particularly given that he introduced an amendment to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.

“Senator Lautenberg is feeling better and hopes to be in Washington for gun votes,” Caley Gray, a spokesman for the senator, said in a statement on Monday.

For weeks, rumors and concern have been swirling about the health of Mr. Lautenberg, who this year announced that he would retire rather than seek a sixth term in 2014. The senator cast his most recent vote in the Senate on Feb. 28.

The preoccupation with Mr. Lautenberg, one of the chamber’s most ardent advocates of gun control, has only intensified as the Senate moved in recent days to begin the most significant debate on gun legislation in two decades.

For the last few weeks, Mr. Lautenberg, who received a diagnosis of stomach cancer three years ago, has been grappling with debilitating and long-term consequences that powerful chemotherapy treatment has had on his leg muscles, according to people close to him.

As a result, he has been using a wheelchair while undergoing physical therapy to regain his strength. But Mr. Lautenberg, an extraordinarily proud man who served in World War II, has not wanted to show up in the Senate in a wheelchair, according to those who know him.

For Democrats, the interest in Mr. Lautenberg’s health goes far beyond the coming votes on gun legislation.

Should Mr. Lautenberg decide to retire before his term ends, his departure could have a significant impact on the balance of power in the Senate, where Democrats hold 53 seats and are typically joined by two independents.

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, a Republican, would have the legal authority to make an interim appointment to the seat. And he would almost certainly select a Republican, depriving Democrats of a crucial vote in the Senate.

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Anthony Weiner says he will take leave of absence, seek ‘treatment’ as scandal grows (The Ticket)

Just hours after three leading Democrats called on him to resign, Rep. Anthony Weiner announced he will take a leave of absence from Congress and enter a treatment program.

Saturday began with a major blow to Weiner's chances for survival, as  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, all issued statements urging Weiner to leave Congress.

Shortly after, Weiner's office announced that the embattled New York Democrat had decided to enter a treatment program, saying he "needs this time to get healthy and make the best possible decision" about his future.

"Congressman Weiner departed this morning to seek professional treatment to focus on becoming a better husband and healthier person," Weiner's office announced. "In light of that, he will request a short leave of absence from the House of Representatives so that he can get evaluated and map out a course of treatment to make himself well."

It's unclear what type of treatment Weiner is seeking, but Democrats hinted it's not enough to overcome the scandal and urged him to resign.

"It is with great disappointment that I call on Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign," Wasserman Schultz's statement read. "The behavior he has exhibited is indefensible and [his] continued service in Congress is untenable.  This sordid affair has become an unacceptable distraction for Rep. Weiner, his family, his constituents and the House--and for the good of all, he should step aside and address those things that should be most important--his and his family's well-being."

The developments came a day after it was revealed Delaware police questioned a 17-year-old girl about her Twitter exchanges with the embattled lawmaker. Weiner insisted late Friday his dealings with the girl were "neither explicit nor indecent"—a statement the girl's family backed up in an interview with the New York Times. But apparently the report was the final straw for Weiner's Democratic colleagues, who say they can no longer defend the disgraced congressman.

Pelosi, who initiated an House ethics investigation into Weiner's activities earlier this week, had refused as late as yesterday to call for her colleague's resignation. But she, too, reversed course Saturday.

"Congressman Weiner has the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents, and the recognition that he needs help," Pelosi said. "I urge Congressman Weiner to seek that help without the pressures of being a Member of Congress."

Israel, a fellow New York Democrat, also called his for colleague to resign, saying Weiner's "inappropriate behavior has become an insurmountable distraction to the House and our work for the American people."

The decision of all three Democratic leaders to go public with their resignation calls simultaneously is a strong hint that back-channel efforts among party officials to convince Weiner to leave Congress on his own have failed.

Weiner has repeatedly insisted he won't leave Congress, citing the support of his constituents and his wife, Huma Abedin. On Monday, the New York Democrat admitted he'd lied about risqué online relationships with six women he had met on Facebook and Twitter.

(Photo of Weiner: David Karp/AP)

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