Sen. Johnson's Doctor OKs Return to Work

WASHINGTON — The doctor overseeing Sen. Tim Johnson's recovery from a brain hemorrhage said he expects the ailing Democrat to resume his duties in the Senate.

Dr. Michael Yochelson said in a statement issued through Johnson's office that the South Dakota Democrat showed improvement last week in walking unassisted and in his speech, which has become more fluid.

"I am very well aware that he is interested in continuing his work as a senator and I am confident that he will be able to resume his duties," Yochelson said.

It is still unclear when that will be. A spokeswoman for Johnson would not give a date for his return.

"We're letting the doctors set the timelines and they are saying therapy first," said Julianne Fisher. "We are at the six-month mark and the doctors are very pleased with his progress. As he continues to heal, it is clear that he is cognitively doing well and is on a path to get back here."

Johnson, 60, underwent emergency surgery on Dec. 13 for arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins in the brain to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst.

He was stricken a month after elections that gave the Democrats a one-seat majority in the Senate, and his ailment raised the possibility that, were he to be incapacitated, South Dakota's Republican governor would appoint a Republican successor and return the Senate to GOP control.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he expected Johnson to return to the Senate in September, if not earlier. Reid, D-Nev., said Johnson has recovered 90 percent of his speech, although his right side remains weak.

"He and his family and the doctors are trying to decide whether he will come back in September or July, but he's really doing quite well," Reid said.

Yochelson, director of Brain Injury Programs at Washington's National Rehabilitation Hospital and Johnson's attending physician, said the senator's memory and processing skills are strong.

"With his improving language skills, the senator is able to express himself more clearly, which allows us to recognize the fact that he is doing well cognitively. He is reading the paper daily and talking with friends, family and colleagues."

Johnson is up for re-election next year, but has not said whether he will run. His office said the senator continues to receive therapy and does Senate work from home.

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Associated Press Writer Wayne Ortman contributed to this report from Sioux Falls, S.D.