Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee diagnosed with cancer

• Kildee, a co-chair of the Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee, said the surgery will result in his absence from the House, which has a narrow Republican majority, for several weeks afterwards.

What he's saying: “A few weeks ago, after consulting with my doctors, I scheduled what I thought was a preventive scan for a swollen lymph node. The results, it turns out, were more significant," Kildee said in the statement.

• Doctors diagnosed Kildee with squamous cell carcinoma, he said. "Thankfully, I caught it very early. With early detection and great doctors, they found a very small tumor in one of my tonsils."
• "I’m eager to have this chapter behind me and get back to work. But in the meantime, I’ll be away from the office for a period of time," he said.
• He added that, in his absence, his congressional office "will remain open to serve the people of Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District."

The big picture: Several other House Democrats have been diagnosed with cancer in recent months.

• Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said in February he "successfully" underwent surgery to remove gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors, a type of cancer that forms in the GI tract.
• Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the chair of the House Oversight Committee, announced in December that he had been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma and would undergo chemotherapy.

• Raskin said in a tweet on Friday: “Dan, we know you’ll face this challenge with characteristic toughness, resolve and good humor. Sending love and strength.”

Background: A five-term congressman, Kildee was first elected in 2012 to a Flint, Michigan-based House seat vacated by his uncle, Dale Kildee, who served for more than 30 years.

• Kildee has served in a number of different roles in Democratic leadership, including chief deputy whip in the last Congress.

Editor's note: This piece has been corrected to reflect that Dale Kildee was Rep. Kildee's uncle, not his father.