Nov. 19 (UPI) — Vice President Kamala Harris became the first woman to hold presidential authority Friday while President Joe Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy.
Biden, 78, had the procedure at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland. It involved him going under anesthesia.
Biden is the oldest first first-term president in U.S. history. Friday marked his first annual physical while in office.
The colonoscopy was considered routine and temporarily transferring power to the vice president is commonplace. Former President George W. Bush underwent the procedure multiple times with Vice President Dick Cheney assuming power on each occasion.
The White House is expected to share results of Biden’s physical Friday afternoon.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adult men between ages 45 and 75 get screened regularly for colorectal cancer, including colonoscopies.
Later Friday, Biden is expected to perform his first Thanksgiving turkey pardon, a White House tradition.
