[The Hill] Attorney General Merrick Garland will undergo back surgery this weekend and delegate his duties to his deputy attorney general while he is in surgery, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Garland, 71, will undergo a "minimally invasive" back procedure on Saturday expected to last about 90 minutes, said Xochitl Hinojosa, director of public affairs at the Justice Department, in a statement shared by The Associated Press. He will be under general anesthesia during the surgery, Hinojosa reportedly added.
Garland is expected to return home the same day, but will delegate his duties to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco shortly before, during and shortly after the surgery, the statement said, per the news wire. Garland is slated to return to work the week of Feb. 5.
The announcement came on the same day Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned to the Pentagon after a weeks-long hospitalization earlier this month. |