McConnell, 84, Returns to the Senate After a Three-Month Health Absence

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell returned to the U.S. Capitol on Monday after a three-month absence, voting for the first time since June, when he was hospitalized after a fall at his Washington home.

The 84-year-old from Kentucky arrived at the Capitol in a wheelchair, visibly weaker and speaking more slowly than before the long absence. Before reporters he spoke briefly: “I’ll admit, after two years — two decades, in fact — of dodging your questions, I didn’t know how many of you would be here today, but I’m happy to see you. It’s time to get back to work, to finish the job for this Congress.” As priorities he named passage of the new farm bill, aid for Ukraine against Russian aggression and relations with NATO.

In a statement released en route to the Capitol, McConnell said “my recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier.” He admitted he was “still not quite 100%,” but assured Majority Leader John Thune he would be present for tough votes when the conference needed him.

His return came after months of speculation: he was hospitalized on June 14 without initially making the reason public, and weeks later revealed he had suffered a fall and contracted pneumonia. In July, Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, formally asked him to inform the public about his health condition.

McConnell’s long absence complicated dynamics in the upper chamber, where Republicans hold a narrow 53-seat majority and need almost zero defections to advance President Trump’s priorities. Inside the chamber, colleague John Kennedy of Louisiana placed a hand on his shoulder and called him “the Rock.” McConnell, who in 2025 announced he would retire after the 2026 midterms, is not seeking re-election; vying to replace him in the November election are Republican Congressman Andy Barr, backed by Trump, and Democrat Charles Booker.

Source: Reuters