DEARBORN, Mich. – Former Michigan Rep. John Dingell took to Twitter on Wednesday evening after it was announced that the 92-year-old was in hospice care.
John Dingell said his wife, Rep. Debbie Dingell, wants him to rest but they agreed that he could answer messages and she would manage his tweets. He also thanked those who have offered him kind words and prayers.
The Lovely Deborah is insisting I rest and stay off here, but after long negotiations we've worked out a deal where she'll keep up with Twitter for me as I dictate the messages. I want to thank you all for your incredibly kind words and prayers. You're not done with me just yet.
— John Dingell (@JohnDingell) February 6, 2019
"I want to thank you all for your incredibly kind words and prayers. You're not done with me just yet," he posted.
Debbie Dingell tweeted Wednesday morning that she was with John Dingell in their Dearborn home, where they "have entered a new phase."
Friends and colleagues know me and know I would be in Washington right now unless something was up. I am home with John and we have entered a new phase. He is my love and we have been a team for nearly 40 years.
— Rep. Debbie Dingell (@RepDebDingell) February 6, 2019
John Dingell suffered a heart attack in September. He was hospitalized but was soon “cracking jokes as usual,” his wife said at the time.
John Dingell was first elected in 1955 to fill the House seat vacated by his late father. He was considered a master of legislative dealmaking and a staunch advocate for the U.S. auto industry.