John Murtha in Intensive Care

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Congress

(AP Photo)

Updated 11:27 a.m. Eastern Time

CBS News has confirmed that Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha is in the intensive care unit at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington.

Murtha spokesman Matthew Mazonkey declined to discuss the specific condition of 77-year-old Democratic lawmaker.

Murtha was hospitalized in December for what was thought to be swine flu, but which turned out to be an infection in his gall bladder. He had his gall bladder removed last week.

"Congressman Murtha underwent a scheduled laparoscopic surgery to remove his gall bladder last week (as you'll remember this was related to the issue that arose in December)," Mazonkey said. "Complications did arise from the surgery and he is currently at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington."

Politico, which first reported the story, notes that after Murtha was hospitalized in December, he returned to Capitol Hill to help lead the process to pass the defense appropriations bill with his IV bandages still visible.

Murtha, a Vietnam veteran and the chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense spending, is in his 19th term in Congress.