WASHINGTON — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear asked Mitch McConnell, the senior senator from his state, for an update on his health and whether he believes he can continue to serve in the role.
Beshear, a Democrat, sent a letter to McConnell’s office Wednesday urging McConnell, a Republican, to be “transparent” as “Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate.”
McConnell, 84, was first hospitalized a little over three weeks ago following a medical emergency that his office has declined to elaborate on.
Since then, there has been rampant speculation about his condition on both the left and the far right.
NBC News reported last week that paramedics conducted CPR on a person experiencing a “cardiac arrest” at a known address for McConnell on June 14, the day his office disclosed he had been hospitalized. But the office has not provided any information about why he was hospitalized, what his current condition is or when he might return to the Senate.
“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the health and well-being of Sen. McConnell. As Governor — and a fellow public official who understands the commitment we’ve made to the people we serve — I am requesting the Senator provide an update on his current health status,” Beshear said in a statement accompanying his letter.
“Allowing speculation to continue in the media is not fair to the Senator or to Kentuckians, and my hope is that this provides him the opportunity to share the information in a transparent manner, direct from the source,” he continued. “I wish him a safe and speedy recovery.”
McConnell’s office declined to comment.
On Tuesday, a McConnell spokesman referred NBC News to some McConnell allies who said they had held separate 20-minute phone calls with McConnell, the former Senate majority leader, in recent days on a variety of subjects, including the Iran war, the Graham Platner scandal in Maine and Supreme Court rulings.
Those who said they connected with McConnell include Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.; Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; and a former McConnell campaign aide, Scott Jennings.
A McConnell spokesman said this week that a statement the office issued last week was still accurate and that McConnell remained in the hospital. The July 2 statement read, “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
It is unclear when McConnell might return to the Senate, which is set to come back into session next week.
