The head of the Senate's Republican group, Mitch McConnell, was taken to the hospital following a fall at a hotel in Washington, DC.
Republican leader Mitch McConnell would be in the hospital for several days of "observation and treatment," a representative for the politician said in a statement on Thursday.
The 81-year-old lawmaker tripped during a dinner on Wednesday night for the Senate Leadership Fund, which provides funding to Republican Party political campaigns. He is currently receiving treatment for a concussion.
On Thursday, McConnell received a "speedy recovery" from from President Joseph Biden through Twitter.
With his ability to frustrate opponents' agendas and advance conservative parties' goals in domains like the judicial branch, McConnell has established himself as a shrewd operator and one of the most influential individuals in US politics.
When he declined to take into consideration then-President Barack Obama's candidate for a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 2016, McConnell infuriated his Democratic adversaries. Republicans were able to win the nation's highest court with their current 6-3 conservative majority thanks in part to Democrats' accusations of McConnell's obstructionism.
By reversing earlier precedent, the court's decision to restrict access to abortion services was made possible in part by that majority.
By reversing the precedent set in 1973's Roe v. Wade, that majority paved the path for the court's decision to restrict access to abortion services in June.
Donald Trump, a fellow Republican, and McConnell have occasionally sparred and McConnell has rebuffed the former president's erroneous allegations that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Despite opposition from far-right elements of his party, McConnell has also contributed to the preservation of a consensus about US backing for Ukraine.
The GOP leader has already sustained ailments, including fracturing his shoulder in 2019 after falling and tripping at his Kentucky residence.
McConnell, who was first elected in 1984, surpassed the previous record of 16 years to become the Senate's leader with the most years in office this year.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer wished Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a speedy and complete recovery on Thursday.
The senator "is appreciative to the medical personnel for their care and to his colleagues for their kind wishes," according to McConnell spokesman David Popp.
[zombify_post]
0 Comments