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Americans received an update on Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health Monday when his office released a new photo and statement, saying he’s still not ready to return to the Senate floor.
“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. “Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday.”
Monday’s update is just the second since the 84-year-old senator fell in his home last month. Now, he says he is in rehabilitation care.
Previous health update
McConnell shared his first health update earlier this month after rumors spread online that the senator was brain dead. Those rumors led Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to call for greater transparency from McConnell, saying, “Let’s end the crazy speculation. Just tell us what’s going on.”
In the update, McConnell said he was left “briefly unconscious” after he suffered a fall.
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke,” McConnell wrote. “I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was 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.”
The state of the Senate
McConnell’s absence from the Senate continues at a busy time for lawmakers. This week, the Senate is expected to vote on Trump nominees, including those for attorney general and the director of national intelligence.
Sen. John Thune is also looking to fund the government ahead of the Sept. 30 fiscal deadline and is eyeing action on a Russian sanctions bill.
Plus, Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral will take place in D.C. on Tuesday.
Round out your reading
- What does low water at the Hoover Dam mean for power in the American West?
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- ChatGPT told him he wouldn’t face charges. Then came the arrest warrant.
- How one small city built a second act as a bio hub inside empty cigarette factories.
- If permanent Daylight Saving Time is so popular, why is it dead in the Senate?