Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted to an intensive care unit on Wednesday, and his wife, Barbara, was also hospitalized as a precaution, according to his spokesman.

The 92-year-old former chief executive was admitted to the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital to “address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. McGrath said the former first lady was hospitalized as a precautionary measure after she experienced fatigue and coughing.

“Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation. President Bush is stable and resting comfortably in the ICU, where he will remain for observation,” McGrath said in the statement.

Doctors were monitoring him to see how he responds. But McGrath said he doesn’t think “there’s a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush.”

Advertisement

He has been in the hospital since Saturday.

Barbara Bush is 91. The couple marked their 72nd wedding anniversary on Jan. 6.

Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in Maine in 2015 after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck, and was hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday.

Advertisement

Bush’s office announced earlier this month that he and the former first lady would not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration this week due to his age and health.

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Mass., also served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s vice president.

His son, George W. Bush, was elected president in 2000 and served two terms. Another son, Jeb — a former Florida governor — made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2016. Only one other U.S. president, John Adams, had a son who also became president.

ALSO

Donald Trump’s transition has hurt his popularity, not helped

Trump’s Health secretary pick opens hearing by pledging to protect the vulnerable but doesn’t say how

The Chinese zodiac says Jan. 20 is not an auspicious day to inaugurate anything

Advertisement

UPDATES:

12:40 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement by a family spokesman that a procedure was performed to clear George H.W. Bush’s airway.

10:35 a.m.: This article was updated with a statement that George H.W. Bush is in intensive care and that Barbara Bush was also hospitalized.

This article was originally published at 4:25 a.m.</s>Both former President Bush and his wife Barbara have been hospitalized in a Houston-area hospital:

Former president George H.W. Bush was under observation at an intensive care unit in Houston on Wednesday after being treated for an “acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” according to a statement from his office. The update described the 92-year-old Bush as “stable and resting comfortably” at Houston Methodist Hospital, but gave no details on how long the former president could remain under medical attention. At the same hospital, former first lady Barbara Bush was also admitted Wednesday as a “precaution” after experiencing fatigue and coughing, a separate statement said. The former president was taken to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath, and doctors performed a procedure to “protect and clear his airway,” the statement said. Bush was under sedation during the medical intervention, it added. In a tweet, Bush spokesman Jim McGrath wrote that he has “responded very well to treatments.” McGrath added: “Hope to have him out soon.” The Houston Chronicle, quoting Jean Becker, Bush’s chief of staff, said the former president was “fine” and “doing really well” after falling ill recently. She told KHOU in Houston that the nation’s oldest living former president was in stable condition.

NBC News is reporting that the former President has been moved to ICU after what was apparently a second procedure to deal with breathing issues, and that his wife was also hospitalized:

While George H.W. Bush remains in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital after experiencing “shortness of breath,” the former president’s wife, Barbara, has also been admitted for a separate health issue, the couple’s spokesman said Wednesday. The former first lady was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital on Wednesday morning “as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing,” spokesman Jim McGrath said in a new statement following an update on her husband’s condition. Her husband, 92-year-old Bush, was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital to treat an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia, the statement said. “Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation,” McGrath said. “President Bush is stable and resting comfortably in the ICU, where he will remain for observation.” Bush chief of staff Jean Becker earlier said he’s “fine and he’s doing really well,” according to the Houston Chronicle. Earlier, local media quoted Bush’s chief of staff as saying the 41st president was expected to go home from Houston Methodist Hospital in a few days after he was first hospitalized Saturday.

Few details are being provided regarding the treatment that the former President and his wife are receiving. Hopefully, though, they will both recover quickly and be released.</s>HOUSTON (AP) – Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted Wednesday to the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital with pneumonia, and his wife, Barbara, was hospitalized as a precaution after suffering fatigue and coughing, a spokesman said.

The 92-year-old former president, who had been hospitalized since Saturday, underwent a procedure “to protect and clear his airway that required sedation,” family spokesman Jim McGrath said.

Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he was to stay for observation, McGrath said.

The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address “an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” McGrath said. He later said doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath.

“I don’t think there’s a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush,” McGrath said. “We’re just kind of in a wait-and-see mode.”

McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks, “and it finally just got to the point this morning where she said she wanted to take it out of committee and have the experts check it out.” He described the move as precautionary.

Physicians initially believed the former president would be released later this week following several days of treatment, but his stay has been extended. There is no timetable for his release.</s>In this March 29, 2015, photo, former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush speak before the first half of a college basketball game in Houston.

In this March 29, 2015, photo, former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush speak before the first half of a college basketball game in Houston.

Former President George H.W. Bush is in stable condition at a Houston hospital, KHOU reported early Wednesday.

Bush's chief of staff, Jean Becker, told KHOU that Bush, 92, is "doing fine."

Jim McGrath, spokesman for Bush and his wife, Barbara, later tweeted that Bush was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday for "shortness of breath" and "has responded very well to treatments."

"Hope to have him out soon," McGrath added.

>> See his tweet here

McGrath said in an update later in the day that Bush is "resting comfortably" at the hospital's intensive care unit.

"Shortly after our previous report on President Bush's condition, he was admitted to the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital to address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," a statement released by McGrath said. "Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation. President Bush is stable and resting comfortably in the ICU, where he will remain for observation."

McGrath said Barbara Bush was admitted to the same hospital Wednesday morning "as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing."

Bush is expected to return home "in a couple of days," according to KHOU.

Bush has a form of Parkinson's disease and uses a motorized scooter or wheelchair to get around. Despite that, he marked his 90th birthday with a tandem parachute jump in Maine and last summer took the helm of a speedboat as part of a fishing trip with a group of 40 wounded warriors.

Bush was the youngest naval aviator when he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1943, spurred on by the attack on Pearl Harbor.

He flew 58 combat missions during World War II, including one that required he be rescued by a submarine after his plane was hit by Japanese antiaircraft fire. For his bravery, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

It was while he was enlisted that he first met Barbara Bush, then a student at Smith College. The couple were married in Jan. 6, 1945, making theirs the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history.

The couple had six children: George, Robin, John (known as "Jeb"), Neil, Marvin and Dorothy. Robin died as a child. George W. Bush went on to serve two terms as president from 2001 to 2009. Jeb Bush ran for the Republican nomination in the run-up to November's election, but lost his bid to President-elect Donald Trump.

Following in the footsteps of his father, U.S. Sen. Prescott Bush (R-Connecticut), George H. W. Bush launched a career in politics in 1963 after settling with his family in Texas. He served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan's vice president.

In 1989, became the first sitting vice president to secure the presidency since 1837.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, remain hospitalized in Houston, where he was in intensive care for pneumonia and she was being watched after complaining of fatigue and coughing.

The 92-year-old former president went into the ICU on Wednesday and underwent a procedure “to protect and clear his airway that required sedation,” family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement.

Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital, McGrath said.

The 41st president was placed in the ICU to address “an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” McGrath said. He later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath.

“I don’t think there’s a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush,” McGrath said. “We’re just kind of in a wait-and-see mode.”

McGrath said Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and decided “to take it out of committee and have the experts check it out.” He described the move as precautionary.

Physicians initially believed the former president would be released later this week following several days of treatment, but his stay has been extended, McGrath said. There is no timetable for his release.

Doctors want to see how the former first lady responds to treatment before allowing her to return home, he said.

The Bushes, who were married Jan. 6, 1945, have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history. At the time of their wedding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College.

After World War II, the pair moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Bush, who served as president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in 2015 in Maine after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck. He was also hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

Despite his loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.

Bush’s office announced earlier this month that the couple would not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration because of the former president’s age and health.

“My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara. So I guess we’re stuck in Texas,” Bush wrote in a letter to Trump.

His son George W. Bush, the 43rd president, still expects to attend the inauguration and does not plan to travel to Houston, spokesman Freddy Ford said.

Trump and President Barack Obama sent their well wishes — via Twitter and a news conference respectively. Former President Bill Clinton also tweeted: “41 and Barbara — thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42.”

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s vice president.

George W. Bush was elected president in 2000 and served two terms. Another son, Jeb, served as Florida governor and made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2016. Only one other U.S. president, John Adams, had a son who also became president.

Comments

 WTOP is now using Facebook as our comment platform. Need help? Email us</s>HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted to an intensive care unit on Wednesday, and his wife, Barbara, was hospitalized as a precaution, according to his spokesman.

The former president was admitted to the ICU at a Houston hospital to “address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. McGrath said the former first lady was hospitalized as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing.

George Bush was taken to the hospital over the weekend for shortness of breath. McGrath said earlier Wednesday that the 92-year-old Bush was responding well to treatments.

The 41st president was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on Saturday, McGrath said in an email to The Associated Press.

“Doctors and everyone are very pleased, and we hope to have him out soon,” McGrath said.

Bush’s chief of staff, Jean Becker, told the Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV that Bush was expected to go home in a couple of days.

Bush, who served as U.S. president from 1989 to 1993, has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility. He was hospitalized in Maine in 2015 after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck, and was hospitalized in Houston the previous December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.

Despite the loss of mobility, Bush celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump in Kennebunkport, Maine. Last summer, Bush led a group of 40 wounded warriors on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.

Bush’s office announced earlier this month that he and his wife of more than 70 years, Barbara, would not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration this week due to the former president’s age and health.

George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s vice president.

His son, George W. Bush, was elected president in 2000 and served two terms. Another son, Jeb — a former Florida governor — made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination in 2016. Only one other U.S. president, John Adams, had a son who also became president.</s>HOUSTON (AP) – The Latest on the hospitalization of former President George H.W. Bush (all times local):

A spokesman for former President George H.W. Bush says Bush has been admitted to the intensive care unit at Houston’s Methodist Hospital to address a respiratory problem from pneumonia.

Spokesman Jim McGrath says Bush’s wife, Barbara Bush, also has been hospitalized as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing.

McGrath says the 92-year-old former president was placed under sedation for a procedure to protect and clear his airway. He is stable and resting comfortably. He has been in the hospital since Saturday.

Barbara Bush is 91. The couple marked their 72nd wedding anniversary on Jan. 6.

A spokesman for former President George H.W. Bush says the 92-year-old was taken to the hospital over the weekend for shortness of breath.

Spokesman Jim McGrath says in an email to The Associated Press that Bush has responded well to treatments and that doctors are pleased with his progress. McGrath says the oldest living U.S. president was taken to the hospital on Saturday and he hopes that he can go home soon.

Bush served as U.S. president from 1989 to 1993. He has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility.

Houston-area media are quoting former President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff as saying that Bush has been hospitalized in Houston.

The Houston Chronicle and KHOU-TV reported early Wednesday that Bush chief of staff Jean Becker says the 41st president was recently admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital after becoming ill. Becker did not specify the reason the 92-year-old was hospitalized. Both media outlets say his office expects him to go home in a couple of days.

Becker did not immediately return email or telephone calls to her office from The Associated Press.

Bush was hospitalized in Maine in 2015 after falling at his summer home and breaking a bone in his neck.

He served as US president from 1989 to 1993.</s>President Bush, 92, was admitted to intensive care at Houston Methodist Hospital to address "an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia. Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation," his spokesman, Jim McGrath, said in a statement.

Barbara Bush also was admitted to the hospital Wednesday morning as a precaution after "experiencing fatigue and coughing," McGrath said in the same statement.

President Bush was first hospitalized over the weekend suffering from shortness of breath and a cough and was treated with IV antibiotics.

At first, McGrath reported that he was responding well to the drugs. But Wednesday, the 41st President's condition changed and he was admitted to the intensive care unit, sedated and intubated.

"It's definitely very concerning," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, who noted that it is the first time President Bush has been intubated to protect his airway. "Certainly when someone is sedated, they're having trouble breathing on their own." George Herbert Walker Bush poses for his official photograph as President of the United States. Bush has served in many roles in government, the highest being 41st president. Bush is pictured with his sister, Mercy, in 1929. He was born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. Bush sits in his VT-51 Avenger in 1945. Two years earlier, the future president became the youngest pilot in the Navy at the time, after earning his commission and wings. After serving as a US Navy pilot in World War II, Bush attended Yale University and played baseball from 1945 to 1948. Before he entered politics in 1964, Bush made a fortune drilling for oil in Texas. He created the Zapata Offshore Co., which introduced a new era in the drilling industry. Bush is pictured with his wife, Barbara, during his first campaign for Congress. He represented Texas' 7th District from 1967 to 1971, and he was appointed to the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Bush represents the United States at the United Nations in 1971. He served as US Ambassador from that year until 1973. Bush sits with members of his family in 1971. Under President Gerald Ford, Bush served as the chief liaison to China in 1975. Here, Bush greets well-wishers in Beijing. Ford meets with Bush in December 1975 in the Oval Office to talk to about Bush taking over as director of the CIA. Bush and his wife stand before the press in 1980 with Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan. Bush would be formally nominated later that year as the vice presidential candidate. Bush and then-House Speaker Tip O'Neill listen to Reagan deliver his second State of the Union Address in 1983. Reagan shakes hands with Bush in 1988 as first lady Nancy Reagan looks on. Bush served as Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. George and Barbara Bush pose for a family photo in 1986 in Kennebunkport, Maine. From left to right (not including children); Neil and Sharon Bush, George W. and Laura Bush, Barbara and George Bush, Margaret and Marvin Bush, Bobby Koch and Dorothy Bush Koch, and Jeb and Columba Bush. Bush poses for a photo with real estate mogul and future President Donald Trump in 1988 during a Bush campaign event. Bush and Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle accepted the Republican Party's nominations for president and vice president in August 1988. During his speech, Bush first uttered the memorable line, "Read my lips: No new taxes." Bush fights a wave as he casts a fishing line in Florida in 1988. Bush waves to supporters in Houston in 1988 after learning he defeated Michael Dukakis in the presidential election. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev takes in the New York City skyline in 1988 with Reagan and Bush. Bush was sworn into office as the 41st President of the United States on January 20, 1989. First lady Barbara Bush holds the Bible for her husband while Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the oath of office. President Bush holds up a plastic bag with crack cocaine during a televised speech about drugs. Weeks later it was revealed that government agents had bought the drugs from a dealer in front of the White House for the purpose of Bush's speech. Bush hosted Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid leader and future President, at the White House in June 1990. Bush holds a White House news conference in August 1990 during the run-up to war with Iraq. Bush visits American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day in 1990. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell and Bush speak on separate phones in February 1991 while Joint Chiefs John Sununu, Robert Gates and Brent Scowcroft listen in to a conversation about halting the ground war in Saudi Arabia. Bush meets with his US Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991 at Bush's vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush and Gorbachev confer during their joint news conference in July 1991 in Moscow. The event concluded the two-day US-Soviet Summit dedicated to disarmament. Presidents Bush, Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon stand together in Simi Valley, California, in 1991 at the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Library. It was the first time five presidents gathered in one place. Bush and Quayle join hands at the August 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston. They are joined by their wives, Marilyn Quayle and first lady Barbara Bush. Bush checks his watch during the 1992 presidential debate with Ross Perot, right, and Bill Clinton. The memorable moment was interpreted as the President being out of touch. Bush takes a last look around the Oval Office with his dog, Ranger, before vacating the White House for newly-elected President Bill Clinton. Bush speaks in November 1997 at the dedication of his presidential library at Texas A&M University. George H.W. Bush hugs his son, President George W. Bush, moments after the younger Bush was sworn in on January 20, 2001. Celebrating his 80th birthday in 2004, Bush performs one of two jumps he completed with the Army Golden Knights over the Bush Presidential Library. President George W. Bush appointed his father and former President Bill Clinton in September 2005 to lead fund-raising efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina. President George W. Bush meets in 2009 in the Oval Office with President-elect Barack Obama, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) President Barack Obama presents Bush with the 2010 Medal of Freedom in February 2011 at the White House. Barbara Bush kisses her husband as they arrive for the 2012 premiere of a documentary about his life. Bush's colorful socks are seen at the dedication in 2013 of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Bush floats to the ground in June 2014 during a tandem parachute jump near his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush was strapped to Mike Elliott, a retired member of the Army's Golden Knights parachute team, as he made the jump to celebrate his 90th birthday. Bush holds up his wife's hand at the Republican presidential primary candidate debate in February 2016. Their son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, ran an unsuccessful bid for the nomination. Bush throws out the first pitch to Collin McHugh of the Houston Astros before a game in April 2016 in Houston. Bush, who served a single term as President from 1989 to 1993, was already not expected to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Friday due to health concerns. Bush sent a letter to the President-elect on January 10, apologizing for missing the ceremony and saying that he and Barbara "wish you the very best as you begin this incredible journey of leading our great country." "My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara," Bush wrote, in a letter first reported by ABC News. "So I guess we're stuck in Texas." Several bouts with illness have kept President Bush out of the spotlight in recent years and he has rarely made public remarks. President Barack Obama said at a White House news conference Wednesday his White House has been in touch with the Bush family. "They have not only dedicated their lives to this country, they have been a constant source of friendship and support and good counsel" over the years, Obama said. "They are as fine a couple as we know," he added, calling the Bushes "really good people." Former President Bill Clinton, also offered his best wishes to his predecessor on Twitter. "41 and Barbara—thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42," he wrote. 41 and Barbara—thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42. — Bill Clinton (@billclinton) January 18, 2017 Bush revealed several years ago that he suffered from a form of Parkinson's disease that left him unable to walk. He uses a wheelchair or a scooter to get around and had two other health scares in 2014 and 2015. In December 2014, he was hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath, and the following July fell at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, breaking the C2 vertebrae in his neck. The injury did not result in any neurological problems, his spokesman said at the time. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to accurately state the years George H.W. Bush served as president of the United States.</s>HOUSTON (AP) — The Latest on the hospitalizations of former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush (all times local):

A spokesman says the 91-year-old wife of former President George H.W. Bush is being treated for bronchitis.

Former first lady Barbara Bush was experiencing fatigue and coughing when she checked into Houston Methodist Hospital on Wednesday, just days after her 92-year-old husband was admitted for treatment of pneumonia.

Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said in an email that an update on their conditions is expected Thursday morning.

The nation’s 41st president was moved to an intensive care unit at the hospital on Wednesday after undergoing a procedure to clear his airway.

Bronchitis is known to follow a cough or flu and cause infection or swelling of bronchial tubes. It can be treated with antibiotics.

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, are receiving well wishes from around the world as they remain hospitalized in Houston.

The 41st president is in intensive care at Houston Methodist Hospital for pneumonia and the former first lady was admitted to the hospital Wednesday after experiencing fatigue and coughing.

Former President Bill Clinton wrote on Twitter: “41 and Barbara — thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love, 42.”

Both President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama sent their well wishes to the Bushes as well. Trump said on Twitter that he is looking forward to the couple’s quick recovery, while Obama said at a press conference Wednesday that the Bushes “are as fine a couple as we know.”

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, remain hospitalized in Houston, where he is in intensive care for pneumonia and she is being watched after complaining of fatigue and coughing.

A family spokesman says the 92-year-old former president went into the ICU on Wednesday and underwent a procedure on his airway. Bush was stable and resting comfortably at Houston Methodist Hospital.

The spokesman later told The Associated Press that doctors were happy with how the procedure went. Bush was first admitted to the hospital Saturday for shortness of breath.

Barbara Bush, who is 91, had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and decided to seek treatment. The spokesman described the move as precautionary.</s>Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, have both been hospitalized, his spokesman said Wednesday.

Jim McGrath told CNN that the 41st president has been hospitalized at Houston Methodist Hospital since Saturday, and later said in a statement the cause was “an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia. Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation.”

He said Bush is responding well to treatments.

Barbara Bush also was admitted to the hospital Wednesday morning as a precaution after “experiencing fatigue and coughing,” McGrath said in the statement.

Bush, who served a single term as President from 1989 to 1993, was already not expected to attend the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Friday due to health concerns.

Bush sent a letter to the President-elect on January 10, apologizing for missing the ceremony and saying that he and Barbara “wish you the very best as you begin this incredible journey of leading our great country.”

Several bouts with illness have kept the 92-year-old out of the spotlight in recent years and he has rarely made public remarks.

Previous health concerns

 Bush revealed several years ago that he suffered from a form of Parkinson’s disease that left him unable to walk. He uses a wheelchair or a scooter to get around and had two other health scares in 2014 and 2015.

In December 2014, he was hospitalized after experiencing shortness of breath, and the following July fell at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine, breaking the C2 vertebrae in his neck.

The injury did not result in any neurological problems, his spokesman said at the time.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to accurately state the years George H.W. Bush served as president of the United States.
Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush is hospitalized in intensive care at Houston Methodist Hospital for treatment of pneumonia. His wife, Barbara is also hospitalized.