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After US MP Dwight Evans suffered a stroke in May, he issued a statement saying he expected to return to work in six weeks.
Nearly five months later, Evans, 70, still hasn’t returned to Washington and has missed hundreds of congressional votes.
The Philadelphia Democrat, who is currently seeking a fifth term unopposed, acknowledged Wednesday that his rehabilitation is taking longer than expected and that he now plans to return to Washington when the House resumes session in November, starting the week after the election. He assures that he is fully prepared to serve the upcoming term.
“Even though I expected to come back after rehab and recovery, I had to take the time and go through the process, and that’s kind of my thing,” Evans said in a 30-minute phone interview with The Inquirer, his first interview since the stroke.
Although the House is narrowly divided, it has not passed much significant legislation during the summer months. However, Evans is still a noticeable absence. From the time he was elected to Congress in 2016 until last year, he rarely missed an opportunity to vote. For one period, from October 2020 to June 2022, he did not miss a single roll call, according to congressional voting data.
But in 2023, Evans began to run out of votes. Of the 346 missed votes during his eight-year congressional career, 262 of them occurred this year.
Although Evans was listed as a co-sponsor of the bill introduced in July, he has not been recorded on a roll call vote since May 8, about two weeks before the public announcement that his stroke was “very minor.”
Evans, who also served 36 years in Pennsylvania General Assembly, said he attended several founding meetings in his district and was looking forward to returning to Washington, “but the truth is that I acted very prudently … following orders and instructions for the things I had to do. Everyone heals at a different pace.”
He said he goes to outpatient therapy three days a week for physical rehabilitation, largely focused on restoring mobility in his leg. He does not use a wheelchair, but uses a cane.
The house rules provide for certain allowable exceptions in the case of long-term absence, including health problems. Evans said he has contacted Democratic leaders about his rehabilitation. Evans lamented that he did no longer votes by proxy in the House after Republicans took control of the chamber in the 2022 elections.
“It used to be available,” he said of the proxy system adopted during the pandemic. “We are all human. The fact is that no one is exempt from this type of situation.”
Senator John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) was on leave from Congress from February to April 2023 for treatment of depression. During this time he missed about 50 roll call votes.
Fetterman’s absence and the absence of other Democratic senators for health reasons around the same time, including Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), who died in 2023, attracted national attention because losing votes could prevent legislation from being passed.
Evans’ leave has received much less attention, likely because Democrats are the minority in the House and the Philadelphia lawmaker’s failed votes do not affect whether majority Republicans can pass their agenda.
Evans says he is prepared for a full fifth term
Evans said his cognitive function is fine and he plans to serve the full term after his presumptive re-election in November. He easily in May, he won the primary against former Register of Wills Tracey Gordon, a regular in the district elects Democrats by almost 40 points.
But several other politicians in Philadelphia do not so subtly desire the Democratic ticket.
Already last year, there were rumors about whether Evans would even run for another term. State Rep. Chris Rabb (D., Philadelphia) established an exploratory committee for a potential October 2023 run, but never entered the race.
He is one of several Philadelphia lawmakers interested in the seat. The chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Sen. Sharif Street, said that if Evans were to retire, he would run for the position, a position he confirmed Wednesday.
Political insiders also say state Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia) has been tipped as Evans’ potential successor.
A county elected official with knowledge of Cefas’ plans, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he would “definitely” run against Evans even if he were to seek a sixth term.
“I got used to it,” Evans said of political talk. He said he had no one in mind as a possible successor and would “let the people decide.”
“I think I got an 86% in primary school. It will be up to public opinion, not me. I focus on serving my time. The most important thing is that I will do the job that the people elected me to do.”
Looking ahead to November
Evans’ illness also took him off the campaign trail as a surrogate in a city that is crucial to Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of winning the White House. Last week, he recorded a video urging people to get out and vote.
The lawmaker said he looks forward to an important vote on the budget next month. With a slim Republican majority, even a few absent congressmen could potentially tip the scales.
Evans is also a member of the influential Ways and Means Committee, and the coming year could be a pivotal one for the nation’s tax policy, something he said he’s eager to revisit. He also serves on the health subcommittee, and like other lawmakers who have faced health challenges, he said his role has become more personal.
Asked if he would run again in two years, Evans said he was focused on returning to Washington.
“I understand who I work for. People make the final decision, so I don’t take anyone for granted.