Congressman Donald Norcross has a life-threatening gallbladder infection

The office of Congressman Donald Norcross issued a sobering medical update, revealing that the 66-year-old lawmaker remains in intensive care at Cooper University Health Care following a life-threatening gallbladder infection that escalated to sepsis.

Norcross’s extended absence couldn’t come at a worse time for Democrats. With Republicans holding the narrowest House majority in nearly 100 years, every vote is existential.

Speaker Mike Johnson swore Republicans Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis into Congress a day after they held onto two GOP seats in Florida special elections to replace national security adviser Mike Waltz and former Rep. Matt Gaetz.

That brings the partisan breakdown to 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats, while Norcross is out of commission.

Dr. Eric Kupersmith, chief physician executive at Cooper, confirmed that while Norcross is “responding well to treatment,” his recovery will be protracted, potentially requiring physical rehabilitation—a stark reminder of the fragility of power in Washington.

Norcross, a labor union executive turned politician, collapsed during a weekend trip to North Carolina, where he was rushed to UNC Rex Hospital before being airlifted back to New Jersey.

The diagnosis—cholangitis, a bile duct infection—unfolded into sepsis, a condition with historically dire outcomes. Though modern interventions like gallstone removal and antibiotics have improved survival rates, the congressman’s age and the infection’s progression cast a shadow over his political future.

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that stores and releases bile, a fluid produced by the liver that helps digest fats in the food one eats.

While his offices in Camden and Washington remain operational, and staff insist he’s “monitoring” legislative affairs, the reality is unavoidable: Norcross’s absence weakens an already razor-thin Democratic minority in the House.

With Republicans holding a 220-213 majority, every vote counts—especially as Congress debates contentious budget resolutions and Trump-era tax cuts. The timing could not be worse, with Democrats still reeling from recent special election losses and the deaths of two colleagues.

The medical crisis raises grave questions about transparency.

Why did Norcross’s office initially downplay the severity, claiming he was “in good spirits” and would return “in the coming days,” only to later disclose his sepsis diagnosis and intensive care status? Why the delay in clarifying his prognosis, given that cholangitis carries a mortality rate as high as 40% when complicated by septic shock?

For constituents in New Jersey’s 1st District—a blue stronghold encompassing Camden and Cherry Hill—the uncertainty is palpable.

Norcross, the brother of South Jersey political boss George Norcross, now faces a battle far removed from the legislative floor.

His absence stalls critical initiatives, including the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which he aimed to reintroduce just days before falling ill.

Norcross accused Trump Republicans of planning to slash healthcare and prescription benefits for seniors, veterans, and more, as part of a recently approved $880 billion cut to Medicaid, so that they can afford to give the wealthy tax cuts.

“It’s disgusting that Republicans would disrespect our veterans, who have sacrificed so much to defend this nation, by cutting the programs they deserve and were promised,” said Norcross. “The draconian cuts to Medicaid, a program that millions of seniors and people with disabilities depend on for healthcare and long-term care, are just plain wrong.”

Yet beyond the personal toll lies a political reckoning. Norcross’s condition underscores the precariousness of Democratic power in a divided Congress. With Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries already scrambling to rally votes, the loss of even a single voice could derail party priorities—from healthcare expansions to union protections.

As the congressman fights for his life, his family’s gratitude for public support rings hollow against the silence from his office. No timeline for his return. No guarantees of full recovery.

Only vague assurances that he’ll share updates “as warranted”. For a man who built his career on championing transparency, the opacity surrounding his health is a bitter irony—one that leaves both his constituents and his party in the dark.

Norcross was first elected to this congressional seat in 2014, following the resignation of Rob Andrews.

The stakes are clear: In Washington, power abhors a vacuum. And in Camden, a community waits—not just for their representative’s recovery, but for answers he alone can provide.