Indiana’s Coats misses Obama speech after medical procedure

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – A medical procedure kept U.S. Sen. Dan Coats from being in Washington to attend the State of the Union but he was able to watch Indiana Gov. Mike Pence give the State of the State instead.

The senator’s office says Coats and his wife are limiting their travel temporarily after both had long-scheduled medical procedures. Further details on those procedures weren’t released.

President Barack Obama’s Tuesday night speech would have been Coats’ last State of the Union as a member of Congress. The 72-year-old announced last year that he wouldn’t seek re-election.

Coats attended Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s State of the State speech Tuesday night in Indianapolis, which took place shortly before Obama spoke on Capitol Hill.

Coats’ office says he is spending this week in Indiana and will return to Washington next week.