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David Sivak, Congress & Campaigns Editor


NextImg:McConnell addresses health in first GOP senators meeting since freezing episode

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered an update on his health in the first GOP conference meeting since he froze in front of the cameras last week.

McConnell, addressing Senate colleagues in their weekly caucus lunch on Wednesday, detailed the findings of his doctors, who performed a battery of tests after he trailed off while speaking to reporters in Covington, Kentucky.

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The senator has been suffering from the residual effects of a concussion he suffered in March after he fell at a hotel in Washington. The freezing episode, in which he trailed off and stared into the distance for nearly 30 seconds, was the second such incident this summer.

McConnell did not relay much beyond what has already been disclosed by the Capitol physician, according to senators who attended the meeting. Dr. Brian Monahan, who has served in the role since 2009, ruled out a seizure or stroke in a Tuesday letter after consulting with several neurologists. He has partially blamed dehydration for the incidents, echoing the explanations of McConnell's office.

No members asked follow-up questions at the meeting before they moved on to other topics.

"He came up, presented the facts, and we moved on to the business of the conference," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), an informal adviser to McConnell. He and other senators described the remarks as lasting around five minutes.

Republicans sounded a note of confidence in the minority leader as they returned to Washington from a six-week recess on Tuesday.


But questions over McConnell's health continue to dog him. The fall McConnell, 81, suffered earlier this year is not his first — he fractured his shoulder in 2019 at his home in Kentucky — and though he has long had a slight limp after contracting polio as a child, McConnell is perceived as noticeably more frail in recent months.

Nonetheless, Republicans were satisfied with the explanations the senator has given in recent days. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who voted against McConnell in his leadership election in November, told reporters he had been "very upfront" and "transparent."

The Republican who unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for that leadership spot, Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), told reporters before the conference meeting that he doesn't believe he should step aside at the end of this Congress.

"If he feels comfortable he can serve, he ought to keep serving," Scott said.

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McConnell, who is not up for reelection until 2026, has not signaled his plans beyond confirming he will stay on through the remainder of his term.

He subsequently addressed his health at Senate Republicans' weekly press conference by referring reporters to the Monahan letter.