Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) broke weeks of silence about his health on Sunday, saying he was hospitalized last month after he “took a fall” and he doesn’t expect “to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet.”
In a statement addressed to his constituents, McConnell revealed it was a fall that landed him in the hospital, saying his physical vulnerabilities “haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age.”
“My doctors confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” the statement said. “I didn’t have a heart attack or stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”
Speculation on Capitol Hill grew last week about the veteran GOP lawmaker’s status. Multiple Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), said they spoke by phone with McConnell, though President Donald Trump said he has “no idea how he’s doing.”
McConnell, 84, was admitted to a Washington, D.C.-area hospital on June 14 after an emergency at his residence. Since then, his office has only confirmed the hospitalization and last week said he “continues to improve” and is receiving excellent care.
McConnell said he “won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet,” but “in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you.”’
TRUMP SAYS ‘I HAVE NO IDEA’ ABOUT HOSPITALIZED MITCH MCCONNELL’S HEALTH
“I’ve been working closely with my legislative staff on current issues, and with my Kentucky team who help me provide timely constituent services across our Commonwealth,” he said. “I’ve also been keeping in touch with my Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between.
“In fact, with signs of continued progress, I’ve been able to move from hospital care to a rehabilitation center where I’ll keep regaining my strength,” the statement also said.
