U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury cast votes on the House floor Thursday on crutches.
The New Mexico Democrat for more than a week has been walking around Washington, D.C., and Albuquerque on a broken foot before seeking medical treatment on Wednesday.
“Well, I can honestly say I did not have finding out I have a broken foot on my bingo card for today,” Stansbury wrote on Twitter. “Hard to believe I’ve been walking around on it for weeks. Thankfully, I’m getting some excellent care! Thank you to everyone who’s been checking in.”
The Tweet was accompanied by a picture of Stansbury using crutches and her X-ray, showing a broken pinky toe and another toe that was dislocated.
Well, I can honestly say I did not have finding out I have a broken foot on my bingo card for today. Hard to believe I’ve been walking around on it for weeks. Thankfully, I’m getting some excellent care! Thank you to everyone who’s been checking in. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/CCYXdn736z
— Rep. Melanie Stansbury (@Rep_Stansbury) January 25, 2023
“She’s not going to be missing votes if we can help it,” said Julia Friedmann, Stansbury’s spokeswoman.
Friedmann said Stansbury is expected to use crutches and then a walking boot during her recovery, which is expected to take six-to-eight weeks.
Stansbury doesn’t know when exactly when she broke her foot or how. She had a foot injury about 15 years ago and pounds the pavement often, walking to and from Capitol Hill to her Washington apartment, Friedmann said.
During a trip to Albuquerque last week, Stansbury did walking tours of the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum and future sobering center at the Gibson Health Hub.
The Journal attended the latter tour and didn’t notice the congresswoman limping or grimacing. Friedmann said Stansbury was in pain for about a week-and-a-half before she saw a doctor.
“She’s been kind of soldiering on. She’s one of those people that doesn’t go to the doctor until something gets bad,” Friedmann said of Stansbury. “And so she’s been doing her work until she got it checked out and it turns out there was a problem.”
She is the second member of New Mexico congressional delegation to recently break a bone while serving in the nation’s capital. Last year, former Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell broke her arm when she whacked it while hurrying between meetings.
