Washington (CNN) House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler on Sunday announced he will miss parts of the ongoing Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump to help take care of his ailing wife.
"In December, following the House Judiciary Committee markup of the Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump, my wife was admitted to the hospital where she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She has undergone surgery and is taking further steps to address the spread of the cancer," Nadler said in a news release Sunday.
"On Monday, I will be in New York with her to meet with doctors, determine a path forward, and begin her treatment. I am sorry to miss some of the Senate Impeachment Trial, which is of critical importance to our democracy."
Nadler added that he plans to return to Washington late Monday and that he appreciates "the support of my colleagues and staff as I take this time to be with my wife and begin the long fight against her cancer."
As a House impeachment manager, Nadler is part of a select group of lawmakers acting as prosecutors for House Democrats and arguing the case against Trump in the Ukraine scandal.
The New York Democrat has played a key part in the House managers' efforts to present a constitutional case for removing Trump from office.
"There are many reasons why high crimes and misdemeanors are not and cannot be limited to violations of the criminal code," he said on Thursday. "We address them at length in the briefs we have filed."
Nadler's announcement Sunday comes as the President's legal team begins to take control of the Senate floor to deliver their arguments, detailing the defense of Trump after three days of listening to arguments from the House impeachment managers.
This story has been updated with additional information Sunday.