Mississippi's Thad Cochran Will Not Return To Senate As Planned

WASHINGTON, DC — Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran has been absent from Washington for nearly a month and planned to return Monday. But that's not going to happen as his urinary tract infection returned, Cochran's chief of staff Brad White announced in a statement Monday.

White said Cochran's wife told informed him of the news late Saturday.

"After a day of monitoring his condition, and on the advice of his physicians and other health care professionals, Senator Cochran has postponed his return to Washington. He will continue his recuperation at home in Mississippi," White said. "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." (For more information on Cochran and other Jackson stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Cochran is a 79-year-old GOP veteran. His health has been the subject of speculation in Washington, fueled by his extended absence and tweets by Trump, who at one point mistakenly said Cochran was hospitalized. Cochran tweeted a photo of himself last week, which some insiders took as a response to a story in Politico that raised questions about whether his illness was worse than was being disclosed.

Republicans control the Senate with a narrow 52-48 margin. Cochran's continued absence comes as Republicans controlling the Senate plan to pass a budget measure that's a key step toward the party's goal of rewriting the tax code. GOP aides said the budget vote remains scheduled for later this week.

Cochran is the chairman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which has had its work interrupted because of his illness. The panel had planned to vote on a key homeland security spending measure this week, with a showdown anticipated over spending for a down payment on President Donald Trump's promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. That measure is shelved for now.

He is also a GOP loyalist and reliable vote for GOP leaders.

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press

Photo credit: Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press