Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former leader of the GOP, has been plagued by health concerns for at least the past few years, ever since he froze up on camera during press conferences not once but twice in 2023. Now, following a revelation that someone at his home suffered a “cardiac arrest” last month, according to audio from a 911 call, Republicans are grappling with concerns over when McConnell will return to the Senate or whether he will return at all, as congressional Republicans are clinging to a slim Senate majority ahead of the midterm elections.
According to the Washington Post, McConnell, 84, has spent three weeks in the hospital, and his office will not say why he’s there, how serious his condition is, or when he will be returning to work. According to the Hill, his office did say in a statement last Thursday that he “continues to improve and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.” McConnell hasn’t issued a congressional vote since June 11 and has reportedly been in the hospital since June 14.
Audio from a June 14, 911 call seems to reveal some of what his office will not.
From the Post:
EMS dispatch audio from the morning of June 14 suggests that emergency medical personnel were sent to McConnell’s home to attend to an unconscious person in cardiac arrest.
According to the dispatch audio, a call went out at 8:36 a.m. for an “unconscious” person at McConnell’s address, and an ambulance was sent with an advanced life support crew. Six minutes later a medic radioed that CPR was “in progress.” At 8:43 a.m., a dispatcher relayed the emergency as a “cardiac arrest.” McConnell is named nowhere in the recording, though the address is his.
The day after McConnell was admitted to the hospital, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) told reporters they had spoken with him. Then, on June 22, Thune told reporters he spoke with McConnell “toward the end of last week” and that he “sounded good and was anxious to get back.” That was after McConnell’s office said in a statement that he wouldn’t be voting that week “as he continues his recovery.”
McConnell’s absence has only further complicated matters for the embattled GOP, especially at a time when the party has struggled to maintain its usual united front against its rivals across the aisle. For example, McConnell’s vote might have made the difference last month, when four Republican senators voted with Democrats to pass a resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from the military conflict with Iran, just as four House Republicans crossed the aisle in support of the same resolution earlier that month.
More from the Post:
McConnell’s absence also further complicates matters for the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is already running behind schedule. The committee has not advanced any spending bills for the 2027 fiscal year due to disagreements over defense funding.
Without McConnell, the Senate Appropriations committee is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. This could prevent Republicans from advancing their spending priorities if all Democrats vote against them, as any vote within the committee that splits evenly along party lines would fail.
The committee already had postponed plans to markup spending bills during the week of June 22due in partto McConnell’s absence, according to a Republican aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Still, politics aside, if McConnell’s health is as shaky as it has appeared to be for some time now, maybe it’s time for him to finally retire.
SEE ALSO:
‘Stroke’ Trends After Mitch McConnell Freezes And Needs Help Walking Away From Press Conference
