When Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, 81, wanted to quiet concerns about his health after two alarming on-camera episodes in which he appeared unable to speak or move, he turned to Dr. Brian P. Monahan.
Dr. Monahan, the low-profile and mild-mannered Navy doctor who has served for nearly 15 years as the on-site physician in the Capitol, quickly provided a clean bill of health for the longtime Republican leader.
The brief and carefully worded statement matter-of-factly shot down several of the leading medical theories for what might be wrong with Mr. McConnell, including a seizure disorder, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.
The note drew criticism from some physicians and medical experts — including at least one who as a senator is among Dr. Monahan’s patients — and shone a spotlight on the unique and politically tricky job of the attending physician of Congress.
Dr. Monahan, whose job entails serving 535 members of Congress, the justices of the Supreme Court, staff aides and even tourists at the Capitol, has long sought to stay out of politics.
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Mitch McConnell of Kentucky