It’s been nearly a month since former GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell was admitted to a hospital for an undisclosed illness.
Initial reports said that the retiring Kentucky senator, 84, had suffered a “cardiac arrest” requiring CPR.
But on Sunday, McConnell dispelled those reports with a statement and a “proof of life” photo featuring him smiling and sitting up in what appeared to be a hospital bed alongside his wife, Elaine Chao.
The statement and photo came, strangely, shortly after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
It said:
To my fellow Kentuckians –
When you elected me to a seventh term and made me our Commonwealth’s longest serving Senator, you did so trusting that I’d keep showing up to fight for you every day. And over the past several weeks, Elaine and I have appreciated both your well wishes and your honest questions about what was keeping me away from the Senate.
You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct – I can’t help it.
McConnell went on to say he was hospitalized not because of any cardiac event, but because of a fall. He also said he had since developed a “mild case of pneumonia”:
But at the same time, I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities. Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges. They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital.
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. 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.
McConnell continued:
I can assure you that I’ve been a good patient. At my age, I tend to do what my doctors tell me to do. I’ve submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident. And I’m continuing to do everything they ask to speed my recovery. In fact, with signs of continued progress, I’ve been able to move from hospital care to a rehabilitation center where I’ll keep regaining my strength.
As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet. But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you. I’ve been working closely with my legislative staff on current issues, and with my Kentucky team who help me provide timely constituent services across our Commonwealth. I’ve also been keeping in touch with my Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between.
You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work. But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.
I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible. And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery. Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes.
It’s not clear why McConnell, who appears to be in good health and spirits, did not release a video instead of a still photo, or why he remains in the hospital after a month.
Some prominent Republicans claimed last week that they had spoken to McConnell for several minutes.
