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Gov. Andy Beshear calls on Mitch McConnell to prove capacity or resign
CNBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has urged Senator Mitch McConnell to publicly prove his ability to serve or resign, following McConnell's continued absence due to medical rehabilitation after a June fall.
- McConnell, 84, has not been medically cleared to leave rehab, with his office releasing only a photo of him with his wife, prompting calls for more transparency about his condition.
- Beshear also requested Senate Majority Leader John Thune to investigate McConnell's capacity if he does not provide proof of his ability to serve.
- McConnell's absence reduces the Republican Senate majority by one vote and raises uncertainties about Kentucky's untested law that requires a special election, not a gubernatorial appointment, to fill a Senate vacancy.
- Legal experts suggest the law barring Beshear from appointing a temporary replacement could be challenged based on the Kentucky Constitution, with a September 1 deadline looming for holding a special election on November 3.
