By U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was hospitalized Monday night after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, forcing him to miss Senate votes and injecting new uncertainty into the timing of key committee work as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
McConnell, 83, was admitted to a Washington-area hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a statement from his office. His spokesperson said, “His prognosis is positive and he is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business.”
The timing could scarcely be worse for Republicans.
The hospitalization sidelined McConnell for votes on Monday and Tuesday and temporarily removed the chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee from day-to-day oversight of the panel’s work.
The episode is the latest in a series of health challenges for the veteran Kentucky Republican. In 2023, McConnell suffered a concussion following a fall, which led to extended absences from the Capitol and two highly publicized moments later that year in which he appeared to freeze during press conferences. In late 2025, he experienced another fall near the Senate chamber and briefly used a wheelchair. A survivor of childhood polio, McConnell has long faced mobility limitations, and aides have increasingly assisted him in navigating the Capitol in recent months.
McConnell stepped down as Senate Republican leader in late 2024 after nearly two decades at the helm and announced in early 2025 that he would not seek reelection when his current term ends in January 2027.
His absence has renewed attention on delays within the Rules and Administration Committee, particularly surrounding the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, noted The Daily Caller. The bill, which passed the House in 2025, has yet to receive a scheduled markup in the Senate committee. The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and direct states to verify citizenship status and remove noncitizens from voter rolls.
On Monday, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) and 34 other House Republicans sent a letter to McConnell urging immediate action on the bill ahead of the midterms. Gill pointed to strong public support for citizenship verification in voting and argued that while the House had acted, the Senate had allowed the measure to languish for nearly 300 days.
A related proposal, the SAVE America Act, was introduced in late January by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas). The bill expands on the earlier legislation by adding a federal voter identification requirement for elections.
McConnell’s hospitalization could further slow committee consideration of the measures. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated that election-related proposals must clear committee before advancing to the Senate floor, leaving the timeline uncertain as McConnell recovers. The legislation already faces long odds, with Democrats deeply opposed to voter identification requirements and signaling a willingness to force a government shutdown to block them, despite polling showing broad public support for such measures.
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