McConnell’s Absence Leaves Kentucky Politics and Pentagon Budget Up in the Air

Senator Mitch McConnell’s staff insists that he is recovering and working from his hospital bed, after hospitalization nearly a month ago for an undisclosed medical emergency, a probability that many are questioning even as his wife, the former transportation secretary Elaine Chao, traveled to the People’s Republic of China. To this day, his staff has not disclosed what, exactly, beset the senator that forced him into the hospital. On Friday, his office again said that he is continuing to work. “Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” Mr. McConnell’s office said. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”The 84-year-old Kentucky senator is the longest-serving party leader in the history of the U.S. Senate. He has long suffered from health problems, especially in recent years. When he was a child, he was diagnosed with polio, which resulted in a partial paralysis of his left leg. Mr. McConnell was already preparing to retire at the end of this year, but as chairman of the powerful subcommittee which writes the Pentagon’s annual budget, he still holds an enormous amount of sway in the legislative process, even as he has slipped into the background of everyday Senate work. Most recently, his security team wheeled him to and from votes on the Senate floor and meetings in and around the Capitol. At an appropriations hearing a few weeks ago, many noted that he was visibly confused and tried to adjourn the session before senators had finished asking questions. A staffer was forced to step in and remind Mr. McConnell that the hearing was supposed to continue. Though his office insists that he is recovering and plans to return to work soon, his absence creates practical problems for the Republican Senate majority and raises questions about a possible messy succession if his health does not improve. The Senate has been unable to move the annual Pentagon funding bill due to his absence, given the partisan divide on the subcommittee which writes the bill every year. Should a vacancy occur before the end of Mr. McConnell’s term in January, Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, would not be empowered to fill the seat himself. Instead, under a new state law, a special election would need to be held, potentially leaving Kentucky with just one senator in Congress for weeks or months on end. It could also lead to a potential Democratic opening, explains an independent policy consultant and business strategist, Adam Cochran. Mr. Cochran notes that Congressman Thomas Massie, who recently lost his primary for re-election, could jump into the mix and swing a special election for the Senate seat.“It’s too late for Massie to run independent in a normal election. But not if it’s a special election. He may not win, but a small R turnout and a split vote could get a long shot to the Dems,” he wrote on X.Amid his recent health challenges, Mr. McConnell’s wife, Ms. Chao, still made the decision to travel to China for a meeting with the country’s vice president. According to China’s embassy to the United States, Ms. Chao and Vice President Han Xheng met in China in order to strengthen bilateral relations.The embassy said that the Chinese vice president “urged efforts to further strengthen cooperation in economic and trade, among other fields, and deepen cultural, people-to-people and subnational exchanges, to shore up the support for the development of bilateral relations.”“Chao said maintaining stable U.S.–China relations serves the interests of all parties, and expressed the willingness to continue making efforts to promote practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the United States and China,” the embassy press release stated. Some grew even more concerned about Mr. McConnell’s health when it was reported that emergency services responded to the senator’s home for a “cardiac arrest” event on the same day Mr. McConnell was hospitalized. The police scanner call was first reported by NBC News, though neither Mr. McConnell’s name nor any identifying information was disclosed by paramedics on the call. Others have expressed some frustration with Mr. McConnell and his team for not being more forthright about his health challenges, especially amid some other high-profile absences by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. One Democrat, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, missed weeks-worth of work on the Hill after the octogenarian underwent surgery. A Republican, Congressman Tom Kean, disclosed last week that he had been diagnosed with depression, which is why he had missed nearly four months-worth of work.Mr. Beshear told reporters last week that he thinks Mr. McConnell and his staff have an obligation to explain to the senator’s constituents what is happening.“Well, his office has not communicated with me,” Mr. Beshear told WKYT. “If he has been in the hospital for several weeks they need to communicate more directly.”“I don’t want to speculate on anyone’s health,” the governor said. “The only things I know I have read and I can’t verify.”

McConnell’s Absence Leaves Kentucky Politics and Pentagon Budget Up in the Air

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