Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell recently experienced two health scares. Both times, he froze while speaking on camera for about 30 seconds, sparking concerns about his health. On Tuesday, the Capitol’s attending physician, Brian Monahan, released a letter to address these concerns. The letter stated that McConnell does not have a seizure disorder or evidence of any movement disorder like Parkinson’s disease. Also, he did not suffer from a stroke.
Monahan based this information on various tests. These included MRI brain imaging and an EEG, which analyses brain electric imaging. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, validated this on Anderson Cooper’s show. Gupta confirmed that а snapshot in time cannot definitively rule out a seizure. Still, the tests McConnell had were comprehensive and detailed.
McConnell has acknowledged his freezing episodes. He, however, assures the public that he has had a busy and productive month with his staff. Fellow Senate members have shown support for their leader. GOP Sen. Susan Collins feels that McConnell is fully prepared to handle his work. On the other hand, GOP Sen. Mitt Romney praised his leadership.
There are still some concerns, though. Some GOP senators question McConnell’s explanation. Sen. Rand Paul has called McConnell’s dehydration diagnosis an “inadequate explanation”. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville also voiced concerns about McConnell’s health. They await McConnell’s address at the full conference meeting on Wednesday.
Previously, McConnell’s office attributed his health scares to “lightheadedness”. They linked this to his concussion and broken ribs from a fall in March. As the Senate resumes session after a recess, all eyes are on McConnell as he continues his role. However, there are still looming questions about his ability to serve in the next Congress.
