76-Year-Old Democrat Freezes During Speech On House Floor

A 76-year-old Democrat lawmaker froze in the middle of delivering a House floor speech, a health scare that his team suggested was due to a new medication.

Rep. John Larson (D-CT) was criticizing the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) when he abruptly stopped talking. In the moments that followed, Lardon appeared to struggle as he tried to get back to speaking. Larson was eventually told that his speaking time had expired as he slowly flipped through some papers.

WTNH News 8 in New Haven, Connecticut, later reported a statement from Larson’s office on what transpired on the House floor.

“Congressman Larson appreciates the well wishes from everyone who has reached out. This afternoon, he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution,” the lawmaker’s office said.

“He later participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged,” Larson’s team continued. “The Congressman remains in touch with his staff and in good spirits.”

Video of Larson freezing mid-speech began to spread on X in the evening. Commenters reacted with a mix of reactions that ranged from wishing the congressman well, urging him to consider retirement, and calling for term limits.

Similar conversations have dogged older politicians on both sides of the aisle in recent years, including now-former President Joe Biden, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) had been pressured to step down over concerns about her health up until she died at the age of 90 in 2023.

CT Insider reported last summer that Connecticut’s delegation was among the nation’s oldest in the run-up to the 2024 election with the age of 66 being the average of its members in the House and Senate. Larson, who was then 75, was quoted defending the senior nature of himself and his colleagues.

“Provided you’re able to deliver and you’re able to carry out the responsibility in a system that’s based on seniority, this is a very good thing both for the state of Connecticut and for New England currently,” Larson said.