AFPMitch McConnell
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 03:29
Republican leader Mitch McConnell has been allowed to return to work by his doctors after yesterday’s incident in which he froze after a press question. After the incident, a spokesman said McConnell would see his doctor before making another public appearance. The Senate will meet again next week after a five-week summer recess.
It is important to Republicans that 81-year-old McConnell is healthy: his absence means they have one less vote in the Senate. In recent months, there has been more speculation about the leader’s health. He was absent from the Senate in March this year after falling. He suffered a concussion and a broken rib. In April he returned after six weeks.
And at the end of last month he lost track during a press conference and stared blankly for half a minute. The same thing happened yesterday.
81-year-old senator falls silent for at least half a minute after question
The doctor who examined McConnell says he can resume all his obligations. “It is not uncommon for light-headedness to occur in recovery from a concussion. And that can also occur because of dehydration,” the doctor writes.
McConnell has been the Republican leader for 16 years. This makes him the longest-serving party leader in the history of the United States Senate. There is no upper age limit for politicians in the United States, so many prominent figures are elderly. Thus, President Biden is 80.
In the Senate, the average age is 64 years. The oldest senator is Democrat Dianne Feinstein, who is 90 years old. Like McConnell, she struggles with health problems. For example, she was absent for months this year due to, among other things, a brain infection, as a result of which her vote was lost in the Senate. Other senior senators include Republican Chuck Grassley (89) and Democrat Bernie Sanders (81).
2023-09-01 01:29:39
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