Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health concerns show no evidence of a stroke or seizure disorder, the Capitol’s physician said in a letter Tuesday, offering little further explanation for the apparent frostbites seen. raised concerns about the 81-year-old’s situation. .

McConnell’s office has released the letter from attending physician Brian P. Monahan as the Senate returns from an extended summer break and questions arise about the health of long-serving Republican leaders. The Republican leader froze during a press conference in Kentucky last week and was unable to respond to a question, the second such episode in a month.

There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you have had a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease, Monahan wrote, using the abbreviation for transient ischemic attack, a brief stroke.

The doctor said the assessments included several medical evaluations

,

including a brain MRI

imaging

and consult with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurological assessment. The evaluations come after McConnell fell and suffered a concussion earlier this year.

No changes are recommended in treatment protocols as you continue to recover after your fall in March 2023, the doctor said.

Following last week’s freeze, Congress’s attending physician cleared McConnell to proceed with his planned schedule. McConnell arrived at the Capitol office on Tuesday.

But the events have sparked quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation in Washington about McConnell’s ability to stay on as leader. The long-serving senator fell and hit his head at a political dinner this year, sustaining a concussion.

It all comes amid a whirlwind of health concerns in Washington, especially as COVID-19 cases show signs of an uptick heading into the fall. First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 this weekend, but president

joe

Biden tests negative.

Nevertheless, many Republican allies have sided with McConnell, giving the famously guarded leader a source of support. Rivals have muted any calls for a direct challenge from McConnell’s leadership.

McConnell is expected to address the Senate as it opens for a flurry of fall activity, particularly the need for Congress to approve funding to cover any interruption in federal operations by September 30, the end of the fiscal year. to prevent.

Some Republicans in the House of Representatives are willing to do so

closed d

own the administration at the end of the month if they fail to implement the sharp spending cuts they are fighting for, which go beyond the deal Biden reached with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this summer.

Among leading Republicans in the Senate, McConnell is viewed by the White House and Democrats as a potentially more pragmatic broker more interested in avoiding a messy government shutdown that could be politically damaging to the Republican Party.

McConnell has also made it a priority to ensure Ukraine continues to receive support from the US in its fight against Russia, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mounting a counter-offensive.

The White House has proposed a $40 billion funding package for disaster relief in Ukraine and the US for communities affected by fires, floods and other issues, including the fentanyl crisis, but is met with skepticism from some Republicans unwilling to help . it was trouble.

McConnell’s health has visibly deteriorated since the concussion in March, after which he took several weeks to recover. He spoke more slowly and walked more slowly and carefully.

First elected in 1984, he became the longest-serving party leader in the Senate in January. The question asked last week before he froze was about his own plans and whether he would run for revenge

–

elections of 2026.

McConnell was at home in Kentucky at the time and kept to a robust political schedule, speaking regularly to the public and press. Before he froze last week, McConnell had just delivered a 20-minute speech with no problem.

Similarly, when he froze during a press conference at the Capitol last month, he took a short break in his office and then returned to the microphones

Unpleasant

answer half a dozen more questions and talk to the press.