Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill has announced she has breast cancer. In a post on her tumblr page, the lawmaker said she will be in St. Louis receiving treatment for the next three weeks.
"It was detected through a regular mammogram," McCaskill writes. "It’s a little scary, but my prognosis is good and I expect a full recovery."
I very recently learned that I have breast cancer... - https://t.co/VYOi5pohqP
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 22, 2016
At age 62, McCaskill has represented Missouri in the U.S Senate since 2007. In her blog post, she explains how she will keep up with Senate business while in St. Louis.
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McCaskill is a former Missouri state legislator and county prosecutor. A member of the Armed Services Committee, she has been at the forefront in efforts to combat sexual assault in the military.
McCaskill was serving as Missouri auditor before her election to the Senate in 2006. She was re-elected in 2012, overcoming her state's Republican tilt and benefiting from the misstep of her rival, Rep. Todd Akin. The Republican referred to "legitimate rape," and most in the GOP bailed on his candidacy.
Sen. McCaskill's committee assignments:
- Armed Services Committee
- Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
- Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee
- Special Committee on Aging
Recently, McCaskill made headlines as part of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, when that body voted to hold Backpage.com, an advertising website, in contempt of Congress.
“I am disgusted that any company would not participate and cooperate in an investigation into the trafficking of children,” said McCaskill.
She and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman co-sponsored the resolution after they said the company refused to comply with a subpoena seeking documents about how it screens ads for warning signs of sex trafficking.
MORE: Read Sen. McCaskill's bio
This article includes information from the Associated Press (AP).
