Sarbanes ill after Rodino funeral

Sen. Paul Sarbanes fell ill while attending the funeral of Rep. Peter Rodino (D-N.J.) and was taken to University Hospital in Newark.

The Maryland Democrat was taken out of St. Lucy Roman Catholic Church by a first-aid crew after a “brief fainting spell,” Sarbanes spokesman Jesse Jacobs said.

“He is alert — joking and barking orders from Newark,” Jacobs said.

As The Hill went to press, Sarbanes was still undergoing tests at the hospital to determine his condition. Jacobs said that the church was crowded and hot and that Sarbanes had been standing.

Rodino died last week at age 95. He led the House impeachment investigation of President Richard Nixon, as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He retired in 1988 after serving for 40 years.

Sarbanes served with Rodino on the committee during the impeachment hearings before moving to the Senate.

Sarbanes announced this year that he would not seek a sixth term, choosing instead to retire after his current term expires in 2006. He is the longest serving senator in Maryland history.