Washington — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday that Sen. Mitch McConnell has not responded to formal requests for information about his health, weeks after the longtime Republican senator’s hospitalization fueled public concern and speculation.
“I’ve heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell,” Beshear said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”.
McConnell, 84, was hospitalized on June 14, but he and his staff released few details about his condition for several weeks. The lack of information led Beshear to send a July 8 letter asking the Kentucky senator to update the public on his health. Days later, McConnell issued his first statement since entering the hospital, saying he had been treated after a fall and had moved to a rehabilitation center.
Earlier this month, McConnell, who survived polio as a child, released a statement saying he had been discharged from the rehabilitation center nearly two months after his initial hospitalization. He said he would continue recovering at home, though the statement did not indicate when he might return to Capitol Hill.
In his letter last month, Beshear, a Democrat, told McConnell that “Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate.” As governor, he asked McConnell to “fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status” of his health. In a follow-up letter later in the month, Beshear urged McConnell to “directly and verbally” address constituents and provide evidence that he remains able to serve.
Speaking Sunday, Beshear said McConnell still needs to do more to reassure Kentucky voters that he can fulfill the duties of his Senate seat.
Beshear said, “I do hope that he is getting better,” and noted that he has known McConnell for his entire life. Still, he emphasized that McConnell ultimately answers to the people of Kentucky.
“This is why the Senate, the Republican-controlled Senate, feels so broken, they feel like they’re not accountable to anyone,” Beshear said. “All he needs to do is call into this show for two minutes, or Fox News for two minutes, or do a video for two minutes to the people he’s supposed to serve. But you know what? He absolutely refuses to do it.”
Beshear also pointed the blame at Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Thune, who previously served as McConnell’s No. 2 during the Kentucky Republican’s tenure as leader, has deferred to McConnell and his staff for updates on his health, while expressing hope that the senator will return to Capitol Hill soon.
“As the leader of the Senate, you’ve got a duty to make sure all of your senators have the capacity to serve, and what is he saying? Not my job,” Beshear said.
