Democratic congressman reveals he had tumors removed

Forty-eight-year-old Texas Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro made headlines this week when the congressman revealed he had tumors removed.

According to the Washington Examiner, Castro put out a statement on Monday announcing that he had been operated on.

“My prognosis is good”

“Today, I successfully underwent surgery to remove gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors,” the Examiner quoted Castro’s statement as saying.

“Last summer, doctors discovered these small, slow-growing, and mostly asymptomatic tumors following a series of tests,” the Democratic congressman explained.

“My prognosis is good. I expect to be home recovering in Texas for several weeks before returning to Washington to continue my work on behalf of the people of my hometown, San Antonio,” Castro stressed

Castro went on to express gratitude for “the doctor, nurses, and medical staff at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio for their care and treatment, and thank you to my family for their love and support.”

Castro has spent a decade in Washington

The Examiner noted how Castro comes from “a politically active family” who has served in the House of Representatives since 2013 and currently sits on multiple committees. He previously sat in Texas’s state legislature.

Castro is also the twin brother of Julian Castro, a former San Antonio, Texas mayor who went on to become secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration.

Two years ago, Rep. Castro took to Twitter and lambasted entertainment industry executives during the 2023 Golden Globes for not featuring enough Latino actors, something he called “pernicious.”

“Latinos are almost completely missing at the [Golden Globes]—it’s unsurprising and unacceptable,” Castro wrote. “The film industry must address the pernicious lack of opportunity and representation of Latino Americans.”

Castro complained

“The stories that Hollywood tells affect how entire communities are perceived,” he continued before adding, “I use the word “pernicious” because this status quo is toxic, harmful and dangerous to Latinos in American society.”

That came four years after Castro had to correct MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell when she assumed he was of Cuban ancestry.

Castro and Mitchell were discussing President Barack Obama’s visit to Cuba, which was ruled at the time by communist dictator Raul Castro.

Adam Peters

Adam Peters is a Conservative Institute staff writer.

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