The veteran Kentucky lawmaker Mitch McConnell spoke from his hospital bed to the top two Republicans in the United States Senate this week. The phone calls came after more than three weeks of silence regarding the lawmaker's undisclosed medical issues. Aides have kept details of his condition private, a move that has invited heavy speculation about his health and whether he will return to the Capitol when the Senate resumes business next week.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The 84-year-old statesman is serving his final months in Washington, with plans to retire at the end of his term in January. According to a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the South Dakota Republican held a lengthy and substantive telephone conversation with McConnell on Monday. The two men discussed national security matters. Thune requires precise knowledge of any absences as he manages a narrow 53-47 majority in the chamber.
On Tuesday, Wyoming Senator John Barrasso spoke with McConnell for 20 minutes. Based on a statement from Barrasso's office, the discussion centered on upcoming Senate midterm elections and the Supreme Court. The spokeswoman noted that McConnell was fully engaged and eager to return to legislative work. Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist and longtime ally, also reported a 20-minute conversation with the senator regarding politics and foreign policy.
McConnell entered the hospital on June 14, and his office has released few updates since. A statement issued last week merely noted that he was recovering well and working with his staff on Kentucky and Senate business while the chamber was out of session. His office reissued that exact statement on Tuesday, offering no new details on his illness or a potential release date.
The current hospitalization follows a history of medical challenges for the veteran lawmaker. While serving as the Republican leader in March 2023, McConnell suffered a concussion after a fall at a Washington hotel, which caused him to miss several weeks of work. Upon his return, he twice experienced public episodes where he froze during press conferences, requiring assistance from colleagues.
A childhood survivor of polio, McConnell has long dealt with difficulties in walking and climbing stairs. He suffered a fractured shoulder after a fall at his home in Kentucky in 2019 and sprained his wrist in another fall last year. First elected to the Senate in 1984, he led the Senate Republicans from 2007 until last year and has recently used a wheelchair to navigate the Capitol grounds.