Senate GOP leaders say they’ve talked with McConnell by phone

Washington — Senate GOP leaders said Tuesday they spoke with Sen. Mitch McConnell amid a weekslong hospitalization that has sparked growing speculation about his health. 

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the South Dakota Republican and McConnell spoke on Monday by phone and “had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security.” And the No. 2 Republican, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, spoke to McConnell by phone Tuesday afternoon for around 20 minutes, a spokeswoman said. 

“Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate,” Barrasso spokeswoman Kate Noyes said in a statement.

The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican has been hospitalized since June 14, his office said. On the same day, emergency medical personnel responded to an unconscious person at McConnell’s home, according to a public EMS dispatch call reviewed by CBS News last week.

During the call, a dispatcher called in a “cardiac arrest” and a medic said there was “CPR in progress” at McConnell’s address. The dispatcher also said an individual was “unconscious.” The senator’s name is not mentioned during the EMS call, and CBS News has not confirmed the identity of the unconscious person.

McConnell’s staff has neither confirmed that the dispatch call was about the senator nor provided more information about why he was admitted to the hospital. 

His office last issued a statement on July 2 that said the senator was still hospitalized. 

“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” the statement said. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”

Thune said last month that he had spoken to McConnell following his hospitalization. On June 15, he told reporters that McConnell “sounded good” and “wants to be back.” The next day, Thune told Fox News that McConnell “was in good spirits.” He also said McConnell indicated that “he’d be back soon.”