1 of 3 | Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on August 19, 2024. On Wednesday, he called for Sen. Mitch McConnell to provide the public with an update regarding his health. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday called on the ailing Sen. Mitch McConnell to give constituents an update on his health three weeks after his hospitalization.
The governor wrote an open letter to McConnell saying Kentuckians are worried about the senator’s health and ability to hold office.
“As governor, I request that you fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health,” Beshear wrote.
“As pubic officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent. I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve.
“We wish you a safe and speedy recovery.”
McConnell’s office announced June 14 that the 84-year-old had been hospitalized but said little about his illness or condition. In a statement Thursday, they said he “continues to improve” and that he was working closely with his staff.
Speculation about his condition has increased in the weeks since the announcement after some sources reported that Washington, D.C., emergency services radio traffic indicated that paramedics had been called to his residence for a case of cardiac arrest and that a person there needed to be resuscitated.
Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to McConnell, issued a statement for the first time Tuesday saying she had traveled to China on June 12 before he had become ill. She has since returned to the United States.
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors,” a representative for Chao said in a statement to WLKY-TV in Louisville. “During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.
Earlier this week, multiple Senate Republicans said they have recently spoken with McConnell amid his hospitalization. A representative for Sen. John Thune said he spoke with him by phone Monday.
The two “had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” the representative said.
A spokeswoman for Sen. John Barrasso said the two spoke Tuesday afternoon.
“They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinating spending limits,” spokeswoman Kate Noyes said. “Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”
McConnell’s absence from the Senate could make it more difficult for Republicans to pass legislation in the chamber with a smaller majority of 52-47. Also, without him there, the Senate Appropriations Committee is evenly split between parties, making it tougher for Republicans to advance spending bills.
McConnell previously announced plans to retire in January, in which case his seat would be filled through regular elections this November. If he vacates the seat before then, Kentucky laws require the seat to be filled via special election unless the seat becomes vacant within a certain number of days before the general election.
Mitch McConnell’s long history in U.S. Senate
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the Senate Subway on February 11, 1999. Photo by Ian Wagreich/UPI | License Photo
