Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) released a statement on his health Sunday morning, marking his office’s most expansive update on the 84-year-old senator since he was hospitalized on June 14. The release was accompanied by a photograph of McConnell alongside his wife, Elaine Chao. In the picture, the senator is holding a copy of Sunday’s edition of The Washington Post.
In the release addressing his “fellow Kentuckians,” McConnell attributed his hospitalization to becoming “briefly unconscious” after taking “a fall,” saying he has spent his “entire life with mobility challenges” after a case of childhood polio. The statement, obtained by C-SPAN, also disclosed that McConnell contracted a “mild case of pneumonia” while receiving care.
“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,” the release reads. “But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital.”
McConnell’s statement continues by saying that his recovery is ongoing and that he has been relocated from hospital care to a rehabilitation center. He also vowed to work towards returning to the Senate floor ahead of his planned retirement at the end of his current term in 2027.
“I’ll keep regaining my strength. As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time,” the release reads. “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.”
The release also contained a statement attributed to McConnell’s attending physician, saying that the senator “was admitted to the hospital four weeks ago after falling at home and sustaining minor injuries.” His care is now focused “on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls.”
McConnell’s office had not disclosed the cause of the senator’s hospitalization until Sunday, spurring a weeks-long wave of speculation regarding his health status.
The release comes hours after the unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died Saturday at the age of 71 after a “brief and sudden illness,” per his office. With McConnell off the Senate floor and Graham’s death, the Republican majority in the chamber is down two, currently standing at 51-47.
