A Republican lawmaker warned on Tuesday that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — who has been missing from Congress for six weeks amid a "secretive health crisis" — could jeopardize the narrow GOP majority in the Senate and issued an ultimatum, The Daily Beast reported.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) made it clear to McConnell that the GOP will need his votes in the Senate, and what he recommended the longtime Republican lawmaker should do next.
"Somebody needs to do something. Somebody needs to come out and put a little video out," Tuberville told journalist Nicholas Ballasy. "We didn’t get any information today in our luncheon. I don’t know why, what’s going on, but that’s not my business; that’s the leadership’s business, and we wish him well."
"Hopefully he gets over whatever happened. He’s had a tough couple of years, you know, from falling, hitting these hard floors and all that," Tuberville said.
He suggested McConnell return to Congress soon, before the Senate goes into recess on Aug. 8 and returns on Sept. 14.
"He’s gonna need to come back probably before this three-week session’s over with, because then we’re off for like five weeks," Tuberville added.
"We’re gonna need him because the Democrats’ not gonna give us any votes," Tuberville said.
Rumors have swirled over McConnell's health for weeks. The Republican leader's office released a statement and photo on July 12, raising further questions about his condition and recovery.
"It’s been two weeks since anyone has said they spoke to the aging senator," The Beast reported.
The week of July 6, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-ND), whip John Barrasso and CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings all said that they spoke with McConnell on the phone.
