The letter released Tuesday outlined extensive outside evaluations of the Senate GOP leader after his second on-camera freeze in two months sparked party-wide health worries.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's two episodes of freezing up while speaking in public appear not to be the result of a stroke or a seizure disorder, Congress's doctor said on Tuesday in a statement that did not explain what caused the incidents. In a one-paragraph letter to the 81-year-old lawmaker, Dr. Brian Monahan said he reached his conclusion after a comprehensive neurological assessment that included the results of brain MRI imaging, an EEG (electroencephalogram) study and consultations with several neurologists. McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, had been sidelined for weeks after he tripped at a Washington dinner on March 8 and was admitted to a hospital for treatment of a concussion and a minor rib fracture.