Marlin Stutzman

A Republican congressman publicly questioned Thursday whether former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is still alive, underscoring growing concerns and calls for transparency as the Kentucky senator remains hospitalized nearly a month after being admitted for an undisclosed medical condition.

Representative Marlin Stutzman of neighbor-state Indiana made the remarks during an appearance on NewsNation's Morning in America, where he criticized the lack of information coming from McConnell's office and said both Republicans and the public deserve more clarity about the longtime lawmaker's condition.

McConnell, who was admitted to a hospital on June 14, has not appeared publicly since, and his office has disclosed few details about the nature of his illness.

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"I have not heard from him, and I think it's a question that Republicans should be asking because he does represent the state of Kentucky," Stutzman said. He argued that McConnell's constituents deserve answers and voiced support for efforts to obtain additional information about the senator's health.

The comments come after Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear called on McConnell's office to provide a more substantive update on the senator's condition. amid concerns about the prolonged hospitalization of one of Kentucky's most prominent political figures.

“Allowing speculation to continue in the media is not fair to the Senator or to Kentuckians,” Beshear said in a statement accompanying the letter, adding that the request gives McConnell the opportunity to share information “direct from the source.”

Stutzman said he agreed with the governor's request and suggested members of his own party should be willing to ask difficult questions.

"As a Republican, I think we need to hold our own party accountable, so the fact that we haven't heard anything really from Senator McConnell is very discouraging and concerning," he said.

He then went a step further, saying he had received no confirmation that McConnell was alive.

"Do you know that he's alive? I don't," Stutzman said. "The things that I've heard and seen from some friends are that he's obviously not doing well, but I don't know if he's alive or has passed away."

McConnell's office issued its last statement Monday, telling Newsweek the senator is recovering and continuing to work on Senate and Kentucky-related matters while Congress is out of session. "The Senator continues to improve," the statement said, adding that McConnell appreciates the support he has received during his recovery.

Newsweek has reached out to McConnell's office via email on Thursday morning for comment.

Several Republicans said they spoke with Senator Mitch McConnell this week.

The comments from Senate Majority Leader Thune, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, and Republican strategist Scott Jennings were the first to shed any light on McConnell's condition since his hospitalization last month.

Jennings described a 20-minute call with the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican in which he said they discussed several key political issues.

"I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky," Jennings said in a post on X. "He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes…about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible," the commentator added.

Thune also said he'd had a "lengthy and substantive conversation" with McConnell on Monday.

has intensified scrutiny of the limited information being released by his office, with questions now emerging from both sides of the political aisle about the condition of the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history.