More than three weeks after Mitch McConnell was hospitalized, Barbara Boxer said she was “stunned” that the 84-year-old senator has not been seen or heard from publicly.
Boxer called the lack of detail “awful” and argued lawmakers owe voters a clear explanation when extended absences could affect representation and Senate business.
She urged McConnell’s colleagues to consider a Senate rule requiring members gone for more than a few days to disclose why they are absent.
Boxer tied the episode to broader concerns about aging lawmakers, citing her failed effort to persuade Dianne Feinstein to step aside before the California Democrat died in office at 90 in 2023.