WASHINGTON – Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell had two falls on Wednesday and was taken out of the Capitol in a wheelchair for safety reasons.

The 82-year-old has a history of childhood polio and has faced several health challenges in recent years.

“Senator McConnell is doing well,” stated his spokesperson, Stephanie Penn. “The lasting effects of polio on his left leg will not interfere with his regular work schedule.”

McConnell’s first fall occurred on the stairs close to the Senate chamber around midday, and he fell again during a Republican conference lunch in the same section of the Capitol while holding a plate of food, landing on his side, as reported by Punchbowl News.

In 2023, McConnell had episodes where he appeared to freeze during conversations with reporters, following a rib fracture and concussion from a different fall. He has had multiple falls that year.

These health concerns have raised discussions about his ability to continue serving, similar to worries about other aging politicians like former President Joe Biden and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein from California.

McConnell is noted for being the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, a position he held from 2007 until 2024. He stepped down from this role at the end of the previous year, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., taking over.

Phillip Bailey contributed.