US Senator Mitch McConnell says absence due to fall and pneumonia
US Senator Mitch McConnell said he will not return to the Senate “yet” after falling and suffering a “mild case of pneumonia”.
This was the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican’s first statement following weeks of speculation about his health after he was hospitalized in mid-June.
In addition to the statement, McConnell posted a photo of himself and his wife holding what appeared to be Sunday’s Washington Post.
“You all know how people of my generation are often hesitant to share the fragility that comes with aging,” he said in a written statement from his office Sunday.
“Even in the public eye, I feel the same instinct; I can’t help it.”
McConnell also touched on his childhood polio and the ongoing “mobility challenges” he faces as a result.
“As I got older, it was not easy to cope with these. Last month, I fell and was hospitalized,” he said.
“My doctors confirmed that I did not break any bones or have a concussion. I did not have a heart attack or stroke. I do not have any tumor or bleeding. However, I was unconscious for a short time and was taken to the hospital,” the statement said.
“Despite excellent care over the last few weeks, I have also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”
The statement stated that McConnell was moved from hospital care to a rehabilitation center.
“As disappointing as I am, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I will not be able to return to the Senate floor yet to vote.”
Calls for information about the condition of McConnell, who holds the title of the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history, increased this week as his hospital stay approached a month.
He was admitted for treatment on June 14, according to his staff.
Aides did not provide any details about the reason for his hospitalization or what type of treatment he received.
The Kentucky senator’s team said July 2 that he was “receiving excellent care” and “continuing to improve.” But other than this statement and some phone conversations with a handful of people, he has not appeared in public or in photos.
