Mitch McConnell's Health: Staff Silent Amid Calls for Transparency

Mitch McConnell's staff is remaining tight-lipped about the Kentucky senator’s recovery — more than a month since he was last seen in public.

The former Senate majority, 84, finally addressed rumors about his health last week, explaining in a letter to constituents that he is alive and recovering from a fall and an illness. In what’s being called a “proof-of-life” letter, he said that, while he was reluctant to discuss specific details about his health, he would keep constituents updated on his recovery.

However, McConnell's aides have since refused to say whether or not they've talked to the long-serving Republican in, according to The Daily Beast. The Independent has requested comment from McConnell’s office.

CNN's conservative contributor and former McConnell aide, Scott Jennings, claimed before the ailing elected official sent his letter that he had spoken to the senator for approximately 20 minutes about the wars in Iran and Ukraine and about the Maine senate race, and said at the time McConnell was "at some point preparing to go back to work."

According to The Daily Beast's reporting, a semi-permanent guard detail is still assigned to George Washington University Hospital where McConnell is still hospitalized and being treated.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is also demanding answers.

On July 8, Beshear sent a letter to McConnell noting that he hadn't been heard from since he was admitted to the hospital on June 14 and asking him to "fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health."

McConnell did not provide an update until Sunday, July 12, hours after the death of fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

During an interview with Katie Couric on her YouTube channel, Beshear said up until McConnell's update he had been under the impression that the senator had died.

“It had been a month before anything had been put out, not even an official statement from Senator McConnell. In fact, I’d gotten two calls from different agencies—not state agencies—suggesting he’s passed,” Beshear said on Saturday.

If a senator dies, Kentucky law allows the governor to immediately call for a special election to fill the seat.

McConnell is even taking heat from his own party for his lack of communication regarding his condition. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri told Fox News this week that the senator and his staff need to be more forthcoming with health updates.

“At a certain point you do have an obligation to your constituents and the country to tell them what’s going on,” Hawley said. “I hope he recovers, but I also hope that they get the transparency out there to help people know what the situation is.”

Hawley said it was difficult to pass legislation when the party's already slim lead in the Senate is further eroded by senators who can't show up and vote.

“I just hear a lot from leadership that, ‘Well, we don’t have the votes for this.’ Like the voter ID, we don’t have the votes for that. Well, we might want to do something about that,” Hawley said, later saying he was a supporter of congressional term limits.