Win McNamee/Getty Images
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will undergo a back procedure over the weekend and—though he’ll be back in action soon enough—hand his powers over to his deputy for the duration of the surgery, the Justice Department said Monday.
Garland will be under general anesthesia during the “minimally invasive” procedure on Saturday, which is expected to last about 90 minutes, the department said in a statement shared by the Associated Press. His duties will be undertaken by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco shortly before, during, and shortly after the surgery as he recovers from the anesthesia, according to the AP. Garland, 71, is expected to return home the same day, and return to work the week of Feb. 5.
The early-bird announcement by the Biden administration comes within hours of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s return to the Pentagon after a nearly month-long absence caused by a hospitalization for medical complications that arose after prostate cancer surgery.