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Mitch McConnell health: Calls for resignation grow as AOC voices worry over lack of transparency, ‘If he can’t give…’
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated Mitch McConnell should either give a health update or resign, stressing public officials' obligation to inform constituents.
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez informed reporters that Senator Mitch McConnell should either offer a health update or step down from his position.
In a video shared by MeidasTouch, Ocasio-Cortez said that the latest update from the Republican senator was unclear. "If he can't give us an update, he should resign, absolutely," AOC stated. “I think it's been very clear to people across Kentucky that his update was not sufficient.”
AOC calls for McConnell to update health status or resign
In a different interview, Ocasio-Cortez stated that while individuals are entitled to medical privacy, they do not possess the right to be absent from their jobs for over a month without providing an explanation to their employer.
She further mentioned that they are responsible to the public. While a certain degree of privacy exists, AOC said, “We also sign up to give up a small measure, and some measure, of privacy, because we sign up to be accountable to the American people.”
Moving forward, the US Representative informed reporters that the lack of transparency is unsettling for everyone, irrespective of their political affiliation or background.
Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the "tremendously important" need for the seven-term senator to be transparent about his ability to fulfill his duties, as congressional votes are currently determined by very narrow margins, making his presence crucial.
Mitch McConnell's absence from Congress
Since his hospitalization in June, McConnell has been absent from Congress. His team shared few updates during this period until McConnell wrote a letter to his constituents on July 12, informing them that he was recovering in a rehabilitation facility and working towards a return to the Senate floor. This letter was issued shortly after Governor Andy Beshear contacted McConnell, asking him to update the people of Kentucky.
"As public officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent," Beshear sttaed in a post on July 8. “I believe this requires clear communication about one's ability to serve.”
Rise of rumors
In the aftermath of the veteran's hospitalization, a void was filled with rumors, conspiracy theories, and dark humor.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, along with his deputy, Wyoming Senator John Barroso, and conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings, were among those who asserted they had engaged in "lengthy and substantive" phone conversations with the patient, a claim that was met with skepticism.
