Colleagues Prompt McConnell to Flip Farm Bill Vote
Colleagues Prompt McConnell to Flip Farm Bill Vote
The News
Sen. Mitch McConnell, 84, changed his vote on the Farm Bill at a Senate Agriculture Committee markup on Wednesday after Republican colleagues sitting next to him whispered to him to do so.
The committee passed the bill 12-11. McConnell's initial "no" would have reversed that outcome.
Video of the markup showed the Kentucky Republican appearing unsure what to do when his name was called, and struggling to speak. He is using a wheelchair.
It was his first week back on Capitol Hill after more than 90 days away.
The Numbers
McConnell is 84. He returned Monday after more than 90 days away from the Senate. The committee vote was 12-11.
Timeline
McConnell is hospitalized after a fall at his Washington home, beginning an absence of more than 90 days.
McConnell returns to Capitol Hill.
During the Senate Agriculture Committee's markup of the Farm Bill, McConnell is recorded struggling to speak and appearing unsure how to vote. Republicans beside him whisper to him and he changes his vote. The bill advances 12-11.
Reactions
McConnell said in a statement afterward that he was "proud to vote yes" for Kentucky farm families. He has said he is "not quite back to 100%" and has acknowledged lingering effects of the polio he had as a child.
Left-leaning outlets treated the clip as evidence he can no longer exercise his duties independently. Raw Story reported the moment as McConnell "changing his vote after Republicans sitting next to him told him to do so." AlterNet said that on the video "he seemed unsure what to do when his name was called."
Right-leaning outlets focused on the same footage. The Gateway Pundit wrote that McConnell "had to be told how to vote." The Daily Mail described him as "visibly struggling to speak" during the meeting.
Democrats on the committee opposed the bill, objecting to a provision that would require states to share the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
What's Next
McConnell said he will continue physical therapy and attend votes when his conference needs him — which, in a committee split 12-11, means his vote decides outcomes.
The Farm Bill advances out of the Agriculture Committee toward the full Senate.
More
McConnell is not seeking re-election terrain in this story's telling; what the coverage disputes is narrower. All four outlets agree on the sequence of events at the markup. They split on what it means: a senator responsibly returning to duty, or one no longer capable of independent judgment.
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