Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell shows “no evidence” of a seizure disorder or a stroke, a congressional physician said Tuesday in a letter.
(Bloomberg) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell shows “no evidence” of a seizure disorder or a stroke, a congressional physician said Tuesday in a letter.
The 81-year-old senator’s office released the letter amid growing concerns about McConnell’s health and capacity to lead Senate Republicans ahead of the 2024 elections.
Brian Monahan, the Capitol’s attending physician, said he had examined McConnell since the senator froze last week for more than 30 seconds during a public appearance. The examination included a brain MRI and EEG, Monahan said.
“There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease,” Monahan said in the letter.
McConnell returned to the Capitol Tuesday morning using a side entrance. He usually gives leader remarks on the Senate floor after the chamber gavels in for the day, scheduled for 3 p.m. Washington time.
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McConnell’s lieutenants in the Senate have continued to back the leader. Senate Republicans, returning after a month-long recess, will meet privately on Wednesday.
McConnell abruptly stopped and stared ahead for more than 30 seconds after a reporter’s question Wednesday about a potential 2026 re-election run during an appearance in Covington, Kentucky. It was the second such public episode in as many months.
In July, McConnell froze for about 20 seconds during a news conference on Capitol Hill. He was led away for a few minutes but then returned to the microphones and said he was “fine” and able to do his job. He suffered a concussion and broken rib in a March 8 fall at a fundraiser in Washington and didn’t return to the Senate until mid-April.
A McConnell ally said last week the leader has maintained his normal political schedule including phone calls, meetings and fundraisers since returning to work.
But the conservative National Review called in an editorial this week for McConnell to step down, saying he has “noticeably aged” in recent months and the two recent incidents affect “his ability to function as the leading representative of his caucus.”
–With assistance from Steven T. Dennis.
(Updates with additional detail beginning in second paragraph)
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