Congressional Physician Under Scrutiny After McConnell Episodes

Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician, has found himself in the public spotlight following two episodes where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly paused in the middle of two recent televised press conferences.

Monahan, who serves the 535 members of the U.S. House and Senate, gave the 81-year-old senator a clean bill of health following the two episodes during which it appeared McConnell froze for several seconds in the middle of answering questions from the media at press conferences about four weeks apart, The New York Times reported.

In a brief Sept. 5 letter to McConnell, Monahan effectively cleared him for continued work in the Senate.

"There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA, or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease," he wrote. "There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023 fall."

The Times reported that Monahan has since been criticized by some physicians and medical experts, questioning the ethics of his findings regarding McConnell's examination.

"The ethicists sometimes call it the problem of dual loyalty," Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at NYU Langone, told the Times, comparing the situation to that sports team physicians sometimes face. "You know the coaches and the owners want the athletes out there playing, but you also want to look out for their health."

One of those medical critics is Sen. Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist who questioned the legitimacy of Monahan's findings.

"Medicine shouldn't be politicized," the Kentucky Republican said in the report. "And if you're giving advice on what someone's potential diagnosis is, really it ought to be based on the facts. And what I can tell you is that having vacant spells of 30 seconds or more where you're unresponsive is not a sign or a symptom of dehydration."

Appointed by former President Barack Obama, Monahan has served as the congressional attending physician since 2009. He provides services to members of Congress and their staff, as well as to U.S. Supreme Court justices, CBS News reports.

The Congressional Research Service describes the office as "responsible for providing emergency medical assistance to members of Congress, justices of the Supreme Court, congressional staff, and the millions of visitors to the Capitol each year."