Tuberville Demands Answers on McConnell, 84, as GOP Splits Over Senate Absence

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 16

Tommy Tuberville said Senate Republicans need more information on Mitch McConnell’s health and return timeline as key votes on Donald Trump’s agenda approach before the Aug. 8 recess.
McConnell, absent since a June 14 hospitalization, said doctors have not cleared him to return yet but pledged to come back and “finish the job” before retiring.
The 84-year-old said a childhood polio history contributed to a fall that left him briefly unconscious, and a mild case of pneumonia during recovery prolonged his absence.
Tuberville said senators received no update from leadership at Tuesday’s lunch, while John Kennedy defended McConnell and rejected rumors he was in a vegetative state or dead.
The dispute exposes a GOP split over how much transparency McConnell owes colleagues as Republicans weigh a narrow Senate vote count heading into a five-week break.