Sen. McConnell hospitalized after fall

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Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized Wednesday after tripping at a hotel in Washington. McConnell was attending a private dinner when he fell, according to a statement by spokesman Doug Andres. McConnell suffered a concussion after the fall and was expected to stay in the hospital “for a few days of observation and treatment,” spokesman David Popp said Thursday afternoon. The 81-year-old senator fell at his home in Kentucky in 2019 where he suffered a shoulder fracture. McConnell is the longest-serving Senate leader and was first elected in 1984.

Will this impact Senate votes? McConnell’s staff have not said when he will return to the Senate and it is unclear if his absence will affect upcoming votes. Senator John Fetterman, D-Penn., is currently hospitalized with clinical depression and Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is in the hospital receiving treatment for shingles. South Dakota Sen. John Thune is the Senate’s second-ranked Republican. Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have held a thin 51-49 majority.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report about how the “red wave” missed the Senate in November.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.