Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell was sent to the hospital after tripping in a hotel in a local district last Wednesday. A spokesman for the senator did not add further details.
Senate GOP Leader Hospitalized in Accidental Fall
The senator from Kentucky, 81, tripped while in a private dinner in Washington when the accident happened. Later he was taken to the hospital for medical care, remarked his representative Doug Andres.
His office so far has not given any details on how the senator was doing at the hospital or other inputs on his physical condition. One more concern is how long the injury will sideline him from Senate duties, reported US News.
Senate GOP Leader's Past Injury
In 2019, McConnell tripped, fell at his Kentucky home, and was injured. He got a shoulder fracture from the fall, requiring extra surgery to take care of the shoulder injury. It happened after US Senate began the summer recess, wherein he was working at home for several weeks while recovering,
In 1984, he was elected for the first time, and in January, which marked his term as one of the senate leaders who has served in congress, it will be the longest for anyone with more than 16 years, noted AP News.
McConnell Trips in Hotel
McConnell, as a young boy, had a bout of polio that affected his gait, which is still uneven to this day, cited The WSJ. Whenever he is in the capitol building, he uses the rails going in and out of the Senate Chamber. In 2003 when he had a triple bypass surgery during that time.
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Due to health problems, several senators were not able to vote on some bills under process. But McConnell has kept most of his private and does not speak of it. One of these exceptions was at the start of the coronavirus pandemic when he gave some details.
He spoke of one incident as a young boy when he contracted polio. During this time, he was fighting polio then, and his mother would not allow him to stay on his feet as a toddler. In succeeding years, she helped him with his physical therapy regime. As an adult, the stairs were a problem for him.
The average age in the Senate is 65 years old, and many members have been sidelined by getting sick. Notable are Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa), 53, who got a stroke in a campaign last year and will be out of action. He is now getting help for clinical depression. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif), 90, will be in the hospital for shingles. The illnesses and physical maladies of the democrats have been a headache for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y). A slight lead of only 51-49 is how close they lost the majority.
Republicans are the minor party in the Senate but with fewer members out of action. How long McConnell will not be able to attend on Thursday will impact the votes, and South Dakota Sen. John Thune is second to him. Senate GOP leader goes to the hospital for tripping in a hotel with nothing released by his rep.
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