Mitch McConnell

Lawmakers are calling for action over two recent mysterious absences from Congress.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday criticized Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), questioning how both had disappeared without a public explanation or transparency.

“I don’t even know how this is legal,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I really don’t even know how this is legal.”

She added that medical emergencies do happen, but said “there is a line” that has been crossed in both cases.

“This is not normal,” she said. “This is not normal, at all.”

Her comments were quickly met with support from both sides of the political aisle.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) wrote on X that the prolonged absences are “another reason for term limits for Congress!”

George Santos, a disgraced former Republican congressman, added: “She is not only correct but she is the right messenger to champion reform on this. I think @AOC could blow the roof on this common nonsense!”

Conservative social media influencer Valentina Gomez said that she “never thought” she would agree with the congresswoman, among others.

Separately, Axios reported Tuesday that Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) is drafting a bill that would require members of Congress to file a “disclosure statement” with their respective ethics committee if they fail to appear for votes for three weeks.

Under the Duty of Transparency Act, members do not have to disclose details about a potential diagnosis or other medical information, but the bill would force them to indicate whether they need to perform their official duties remotely, according to Axios. It also asks them to provide an estimated length of their absence and a designated point of contact in their office.

The disclosures would be available online for public view within 48 hours after they are filed, the measure notes.

McConnell’s office released a statement from the longtime senator — and a photo of him — on Sunday, the first time in nearly a month that the Kentucky Republican had addressed his constituents since he was hospitalized.

McConnell, 84, revealed that he is recovering from a fall that left him “briefly unconscious,” as well as a subsequent “mild case” of pneumonia. He added that he expects to return to the Senate to finish the remainder of his term, but he did not provide a timeline.

In the lead-up to his public statement, his office provided scant details about McConnell’s condition and what led to his hospitalization. The lack of information had sparked speculation and theories online, including that he may be brain dead or experiencing organ failure.

Kean returned to Congress last month after a 117-day unexplained absence. In a five-minute address on the House floor, he said that he had been hospitalized to receive treatment for depression.

Before the announcement, Kean’s staff reiterated that he was dealing with a personal health matter but would not disclose it.