Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is taking time off to treat alcoholism

KEY POINTS

• Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is taking time off from her role in Congress to treat alcoholism, she said in a written statement on Wednesday.
• The Arizona representative has been absent from Congress since last week after a fall that resulted in an injury, for which she said she will get physical therapy.
• A spokesperson for her office told CNBC she will be "out of the office for a few weeks."

Then Rep.-elect Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., arrives for New Member Orientation at the Courtyard Marriott in SE, on November 13, 2018.

Tom Williams | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is taking time off from her role in Congress to treat alcoholism, she said in a written statement on Wednesday.

The Arizona representative has been absent from Congress since last week after a fall that resulted in an injury, for which she said she will attend physical therapy.

The fall, she said, was the result of her addiction to alcohol.

"I sincerely thank the many people who have reached out in support after my accident last week. The fall was serious, but with physical therapy I will fully recover," Kirkpatrick said in the statement.

"I do, however, have another challenge I must face, which was the underlying cause of my fall. Beginning next week, I will receive treatment that I have struggled to ask for, to treat my alcohol dependence," she added.

A spokesperson for her office told CNBC she will be "out of the office for a few weeks."

But the congresswoman noted in the statement that it will be business as usual for her staff.

"During my absence, my congressional offices in Washington and Arizona will be fully operational, processing all constituent requests, meetings, activities and correspondence," she said.

"My positions on all recorded votes will be submitted to the Congressional Record and made publicly available," she added.

Kirkpatrick won re-election to Arizona's 2nd Congressional District in 2018, defeating Republican challenger Lea Marquez Peterson with 54.7% of the vote. Kirkpatrick, like every House member, is up for re-election in 2020.