\n<\/p>\n
Even some former McConnell dissidents have thrown their lot in with the Kentucky senator after last week\u2019s incident. In a twist, Florida senator Rick Scott<\/strong>\u2014who unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for party leader and is a frequent critic\u2014responded \u201cabsolutely\u201d when asked whether he would continue to support McConnell as leader. \u201cI\u2019m sure he will continue to do his job.\u201d Even when pressed and asked whether McConnell should step aside at the end of this Congress, Scott held firm. \u201cNo,\u201d he said, adding that if McConnell \u201cfeels comfortable\u201d\u00a0he should continue serving.<\/p>\n That isn\u2019t to say there aren\u2019t detractors in the mix. Fellow Kentucky senator Rand Paul<\/strong> called on McConnell to \u201cbe more forthcoming with what\u2019s going on,\u201d and was dismissive of the explanation that the freezes could be explained away by dehydration; he later sought to clarify<\/a> that his remarks were regarding the medical explanation\u2014not necessarily a comment on McConnell\u2019s fitness. But Senator Josh Hawley,<\/strong> who didn\u2019t back McConnell in the last leadership race, has been vocal about his concerns, which he said are shared by his constituents. \u201cI just got back from a month at home where I was asked about this constantly,\u201d the Missouri lawmaker told reporters. \u201cThis is just where we are. So is that a good thing? No. So am I concerned? Yeah.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Hawley fears that McConnell\u2019s issues have become a distraction\u2014and could continue to be as the 2024 election cycle ramps up. \u201cThat\u2019s an important election cycle for Republicans in this body,\u201d he said. \u201cI just hope that we are 100% focused on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Late Tuesday evening, the Kentucky senator sought to quash the chatter. In his first public remarks since the second freeze, he briefly addressed the incident<\/a> on the Senate floor. Running through an inventory of events he participated in during the recess, McConnell expressed chagrin: \u201cOne particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week, but I assure you August was a busy and productive month for me and my staff back in the commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n Within hours, McConnell\u2019s team released the letter<\/a> from Monahan, the Senate physician. Monahan wrote, \u201cThere is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson\u2019s disease.\u201d He noted that there are \u201cno changes recommended in treatment protocols\u201d\u00a0for McConnell following his fall in March<\/a>, during which he suffered a concussion. On Wednesday, McConnell took the floor once again, but avoided his health entirely, instead largely focusing on taking shots at the Biden administration\u2019s foreign policy and urging for continued support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. \u201cThis is not the time to ease up,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s not the time for America to step back.\u201d<\/p>\n But as McConnell and his allies maintain there is nothing to see here,<\/em> massive legislative battles loom.<\/p>\n In the final days before lawmakers departed the Beltway for the August recess, tensions had reached a fever pitch<\/a> among lawmakers when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy<\/strong> called it quits early as a number of key spending bills stalled out amid growing fissures within his caucus. Faced with the looming September 30 deadline to fund the government, it was a troubling portent. As House Democrat Suzan DelBene<\/strong> told Vanity Fair<\/em><\/a> at the time, Congress was, \u201cOn a fast track to a shutdown.\u201d Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer<\/strong> made a plea for both sides of the aisle to work together to fund the government. \u201cIf both sides work in good faith, embrace bipartisanship \u2026 then there will be no shutdown.\u201d\u00a0But that is hard to imagine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n