July 7 (UPI) — Representatives for Sens. John Thune and John Barrasso said both Republicans spoke with the hospitalized Sen. Mitch McConnell by phone this week, as speculation swirls about the senator’s health and status.
McConnell, 84, a Republican from Kentucky, has been hospitalized since June 14, and his office has said little about his illness or condition except for a statement Thursday that he “continues to improve” and that he is working closely with his staff. They have referred further requests for comment or information back to that statement.
A representative for Thune said the senator spoke to McConnell on Monday by phone.
They “had a lengthy and substantive conversation thatcovered a variety of topics, including national security,” the representative said in a statement Tuesday, Politico reported.
A spokeswoman for Barrasso, Kate Noyes, said he spoke to McConnell in a “lengthy conversation” 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,” Noyes said. “Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”
Both senators have said previously that they’ve spoken to McConnell since he was hospitalized.
Political commentator Scott Jennings, who was once an adviser to McConnell, also posted on social media Tuesday that he’d spoken to the senator and that they discussed Iran, Ukraine, the situation with the Platner campaign in Maine “and even a little bit of Senate history.”
Speculation about McConnell’s health increased after some sources reported that Washington, D.C., medical services radio traffic indicated paramedics had responded to his address for a case of cardiac arrest and that a person needed to be resuscitated.
The senator’s absence could make it more difficult for Senate Republicans to pass legislation with a smaller (52-47) majority. Also, in McConnell’s absence, the Senate Appropriations Committee is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, making it tougher for Republicans to advance spending bills.
McConnell is set to retire from the Senate in January, and his seat would be filled through regular elections in November.
If he cannot complete his term, Kentucky laws (changed in 2024) require the vacancy to be filled through a special election unless it’s within a certain number of days before the general election.
McConnell has had several health issues in recent years, including injuries from falls. He spent a week in the hospital in February with flu-like symptoms and dealt with polio as a child.
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