Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran Not Returning to Congress This Week Due to Health Problems

WASHINGTON - AUGUST 1: Senate Energy Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) sits at a news conference on Capitol Hill with (L-R) Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Wayne Allard (R-CO), George Allen (R-VA), Robert Bennett (R-UT) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) on Capitol Hill August 1, 2006 in Washington, DC. The Senate today passed by a wide margin a bill that would open 8.3 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to exploration. The measure has to be reconciled with the House version of the bill. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Last week, we reported about rumors that Mississippi senator Thad Cochran wouldn’t be returning to Congress this week due to his ongoing health issues. We just got confirmation that the rumor was true: Cochran won’t be returning to Washington this week.

Politico reports: “Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) will not return to Washington on Monday as planned due to continued health problems — denying Senate Republicans a reliable vote as they take up a must-pass budget later this week.”

GOP Sen. Thad Cochran won’t return to the Senate on Monday due to continued health problems https://t.co/IP8XZ8Ag5Q pic.twitter.com/knNc1xJKP3

— POLITICO (@politico) October 16, 2017

According to his office, Cochran developed a “urinary tract infection” that will keep him back in Mississippi for the near-future. Cochran’s chief of staff Brad White released a statement, saying, “He will continue his recuperation at home in Mississippi. The senator has expressed his intention to return to the Senate when his health permits, and to fulfill his commitment and duties to the people of his state.”

This is terrible news. Cochran’s health continues to weaken, and we’re all praying for him. But, additionally, his absence will mean that Republicans will struggle to pass a much-needed budget to pave the way for tax reform. The vote was originally scheduled for this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can only afford to lose a couple of senators – two to be exact – in order to pass his budget. Now he’s down one.

A Potential Special Election

That’s only a short-term concern. Politico reports that many Republicans “have been increasingly concerned about the health of Cochran, who is in his seventh term in the Senate.” There is open speculation of what it will mean if Cochran steps down and a special election is called. Upstart state senator Chris McDaniel, who challenged Cochran in a highly contested primary contest in 2014, will likely jump in the ring should the senator resign. That will lead to another contested Republican primary, just ahead of the 2018 midterms.

What do you think? Should Cochran resign if his health continues to worsen? Tell us your thoughts below, and share this story over Facebook and Twitter!