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US Senator Mitch McConnell says absence due to fall and pneumonia
US Senator Mitch McConnell says he will not be returning to the Senate "quite yet" after suffering from a fall and "a mild case of pneumonia".
It is the first statement from the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican after weeks of speculation about his health.
He said he was "briefly unconscious" after his fall and taken to hospital.
"My doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumours or haemorrhages," he said.
Addressing his wildly speculated about absence, McConnell said: "Folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older."
"Part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work," he said. "But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do."
Applying even more pressure, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, sent a letter to McConnell's office urging the senator to be "transparent" and provide an update on his health amid growing concerns about his "ability to hold office".