Andy Beshear Urges Mitch McConnell To Give Public Health Update After June 14 Hospitalization

Sen. Mitch McConnell has been in the hospital since June 14, when his office said, “Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning,” and that he was “receiving excellent care.”

NBC News reported that paramedics conducted CPR on a person experiencing a “cardiac arrest” at a known address for McConnell on June 14, the day his office disclosed he had been hospitalized.

ABC News

McConnell’s office has not provided why he was hospitalized or what treatment he is receiving, but it has said he “continues to improve” while the Senate is out of session.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear later urged McConnell to be “transparent” and give an update, saying “Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate.”

As speculation swirled, Majority Leader John Thune told CNN that McConnell “sounded good,” and he said McConnell “wants to be back.”

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said McConnell was “fully engaged” during a 20-minute call and “eager to get back to the Senate,” according to a Barrasso spokeswoman cited by USA TODAY.

ABC News

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear sent a letter to McConnell’s office urging him to be “transparent,” and NBC News reported McConnell’s office declined to comment.

President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he “has no idea how he’s doing,” after being asked about McConnell on Wednesday evening, according to the AP News report.

With McConnell’s prolonged absence, AP News described unresolved questions about what happens if he is unable to return, noting that Senate rules do not allow proxy voting and that Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage.

AP News also said McConnell is retiring at the end of his term in January, and it described Kentucky’s succession law as requiring a special election if the seat became vacant before his term ends.

CNBC reported that McConnell is chair of the subcommittee on defense appropriations and that the Senate is due to consider a boost in defense spending requested by President Donald Trump.

Colorado Politics reported that Kentucky’s revised Senate vacancy law could trigger a “high-stakes court battle” if McConnell were unable to complete the remainder of his term, and it quoted Josh Douglas saying the unresolved question is “whether the Kentucky constitution conflicts with the 17th Amendment”.