Michigan Rep. Kildee diagnosed with cancer

Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee said on Friday that he was diagnosed with a serious but curable form of cancer after a tumor was found in one of his tonsils.

Kildee, 64, said he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma that was detected very early by doctors and that he will have surgery in a few weeks to remove it.

The Flint-area Democrat said in a statement that the prognosis after surgery and treatment is excellent. I'm going to beat cancer. Kildee said doctors have advised him that recovery from surgery could take a few weeks. He said that his office will be open while he is away from Congress for a period of time.

Kildee, who has served in the U.S. House since 2013, sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, as well as being a member of the Budget Committee.

Kildee represents the 8th Congressional District of Michigan, which was redrawn last year to include the city of Flint. He defeated Republican challenger Paul Junge by over 10 percentage points to win the election.