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McConnell was admitted to the hospital on June 14, according to
a statement from his office that only said he was “receiving
excellent care.” A statement a week later said that he would not
be voting that week. And on Thursday, a new statement said that
he “continues to improve” and ”appreciates the outpouring of
support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the
hospital.”
His office has not released any updates since then, and a
spokeswoman did not return a request for comment on Monday.
The senator’s unspecified health issues come after several
hospitalizations in recent years, and as Senate Republicans are
already navigating a narrow majority in the final months before
the midterm elections. McConnell, 84, was the longest serving
Senate leader in history before stepping aside from that role.
He is serving out his final term, which ends in January.
While he was still Republican leader, McConnell was hospitalized
with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks of work
after falling in a Washington hotel. After he returned, he twice
froze up during news conferences that summer, staring vacantly
ahead before colleagues and staff came to his assistance. A year
later, he fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP
luncheon.
McConnell had polio in his early childhood and he has long
acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing
stairs. He also tripped and fell in 2019 at his home in Kentucky
and underwent surgery for a fractured shoulder.
McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the
Republican leader from 2007 until last year, serving as both
majority and minority leader during that period. He has remained
active as a rank-and-file senator, showing up for work when the
chamber is in session, often using a wheelchair to get around.
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