Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized Monday night after he experienced "flu-like symptoms," his office said Tuesday.
"In an abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night," spokesman David Popp said in a statement, adding that McConnell's "prognosis is positive."
"He is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business," Popp said.
McConnell, 83, announced last year that he would retire at the end of his term and would not seek re-election in 2026. His previous tenure as Senate GOP leader made him the longest-serving Senate leader in U.S. history. He is also one of the oldest sitting senators.
Concerns about McConnell's health have been raised in recent years, from his freezing on camera several times to his sustaining a concussion in December 2023. In 2019, McConnell fractured his shoulder when he tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky.
McConnell stepped down as Senate Republican leader in November 2024. Since then, he has become more willing to speak out against the Trump administration than he was during President Donald Trump's first term.
McConnell voted against three of Trump’s high-profile nominees; he was the sole Republican to vote against Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for director of national intelligence and one of three Republicans who opposed the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. McConnell also publicly criticized the tariffs at the center of Trump's economic agenda.
Two dozen members of Congress are 80 or older, and 13 of them plan to run for re-election, according to an NBC News review.
Last week, the campaign of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the nonvoting representative for the District of Columbia since 1991, filed paperwork indicating she will not seek re-election. Norton, 88, had faced months of pressure to announce her retirement.
There have been growing concerns over the age of lawmakers in Washington even before Democrats pressured President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race over concerns about his health and age.
A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 82% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats back an age limit for federal elected officials.
Fourteen sitting members of Congress died from 2020 to 2025, including three in both 2024 and 2025. In comparison, 12 members of Congress died from 2010 to 2019.
