Steve Schmidt Vice Quotations

The procedure will be performed under local anesthetic. It will take place next weekend. It will involve a short hospital stay. The vice president will return to work shortly thereafter.

The vice president is returning to Washington to be on hand in the Senate to fulfill his constitutional duties as president of the Senate and cast tie-breaking votes, if necessary.

The vice president is slated to have an elective surgical procedure to treat an aneurysm in the artery behind the right knee that was discovered earlier this year during a routine checkup.

The vice president's office doesn't have any comment on a private meeting with members of the Senate.