Patrick Leahy says doctors have cleared him to preside over Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial after being taken to the hospital on Tuesday with muscle spasms

Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy said doctors have cleared him to begin presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. 

The 80-year-old lawmaker, who'd been in his Capitol office, was taken to George Washington University Hospital Tuesday 'out of an abundance of caution' after being examined by Congress' attending physician, Leahy spokesman David Carle said. 

Leahy was sent home after tests and told Capitol Hill reporters that he had been suffering from muscle spasms.   

Sen. Patrick Leahy was briefly hospitalized Tuesday for muscle spasms. He's since been cleared and will preside over former President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial when it begins next month 

Sen. Patrick Leahy is the president pro tempore of the Senate, a role that goes to the longest-serving member of the Senate's majority party. The Democrats took control of the Senate last week when two new Democrats from Georgia and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in

Former President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial is set to begin next month and Sen. Patrick Leahy will preside over it instead of Chief Justice John Roberts because Trump is no longer in office

Leahy had commenced his role of overseeing Trump's latest impeachment trial by swearing in his fellow lawmakers. 

The actual trial will begin next month.

Leahy is presiding because he is the Senate's president pro tempore, a largely ceremonial post. 

Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment trial a year ago when Trump was still president.

The Senate president pro tempore job normally goes to the longest-serving member of the Senate's majority party. 

Democrats took control of the upper chamber last week when Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were sworn-in, as well as the party's tie-breaking vote, Vice President Kamala Harris.  

Leahy was first elected in 1974, making him the longest-serving current senator of either party.

He told Capitol Hill reporters that he'd make a decision about running for re-election in November or December.  

Leahy will be chairman once again this year of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a panel that controls a large chunk of the federal budget and will be in the middle of President Joe Biden's effort to provide more spending to combat the pandemic and recharge the economy.

Leahy is the fifth-oldest current senator. 

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., 87, is the oldest.