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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is intensifying pressure on Sen. Mitch McConnell, saying the longtime Republican lawmaker should resign unless he can publicly demonstrate that he is capable of continuing to serve in the U.S. Senate.
In a letter sent Monday to McConnell and his staff, the Democratic governor said the senator has been absent from official Senate business for more than a month following a fall that resulted in his hospitalization and ongoing rehabilitation.
“During that time you have cast zero votes, engaged in no official activities, and aside from two photos and corresponding statements, have made no effort to communicate with your Kentucky constituents or the nation,” Beshear wrote.
The governor said McConnell should directly address Kentuckians and provide “proof of your capacity to serve.” If he is unable or unwilling to do so, Beshear argued, he should step aside.
The letter marks Beshear’s strongest public criticism yet of the seven-term senator, who announced earlier this year that he will retire when his current term ends in January.
McConnell, 84, has remained out of public view since suffering injuries in a fall. In a statement released July 12, he told constituents he intended to return to the Senate and disclosed that he had also developed a mild case of pneumonia during his hospitalization.
On Monday, McConnell’s physician issued an update saying the senator has maintained “a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation,” including multiple therapy sessions each day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls.
Beshear acknowledged the senator’s recovery but argued that Kentuckians deserve greater transparency given McConnell’s prolonged absence from the Senate.
Earlier this month, the governor publicly urged McConnell to provide a comprehensive update on his health, saying residents had become increasingly concerned about his condition.
In Monday’s letter, Beshear expanded his request by calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to intervene if McConnell does not voluntarily demonstrate that he remains capable of performing the duties of his office.
“If you are unwilling to voluntarily show that you still have the capacity to serve,” Beshear wrote, Thune should investigate the senator’s condition.
McConnell has not publicly responded to Beshear’s latest letter.
The veteran Kentucky Republican served as Senate majority leader from 2015 through 2021 and remains one of the longest-serving senators in U.S. history. His retirement at the end of the current Congress will conclude a Senate career spanning more than four decades.
McConnell’s absence comes during a busy legislative period, with Congress facing debates over government funding, national security and appropriations ahead of the November midterm elections.
Whether the senator returns to Washington before the end of his term remains unclear, though his office has continued to say he intends to resume his Senate duties once his recovery allows.
