Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) returned to Congress on Monday in a wheelchair following months of absence and questions about his ability to continue to serve.
His return marked his first time back in Congress since June 14, when he was hospitalized by a fall he took in his home, which led to a three-month hiatus from his duties on Capitol Hill that sparked criticism and speculation about the 84-year-old’s health.
“Today, I’ll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June,” McConnell wrote in a post on X. “I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues.”
The senator added that his recovery has been long and frustrating, blaming the lingering effects of childhood polio.
He said he is still not back to 100 percent health, but he assured Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) he will do his “best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.”
“Elaine [Chao] and I are very grateful for all the continued well wishes from our fellow Kentuckians, and I’m glad to get back to more of business as usual on their behalf this month,” McConnell said, referring to his wife.
The Kentucky senator was discharged from a rehabilitation facility in early August, but there had been little to no information about his condition since then.
After his fall, there was nearly a month-long span of no public comments, photos, or video footage of the senator.
Amid the public silence from McConnell and his staff, a Kentucky television station on July 2 released a recording obtained of the 911 call from McConnell’s residence the day of his fall. A dispatcher on the call reported a cardiac arrest and that an individual was unconscious at the home. During the 911 call, a medic reported that CPR was being performed.
On July 7, top Republican lawmakers addressed the silence, confirming they had spoken with the 84-year-old lawmaker at length.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on July 8 wanted more proof of McConnell’s condition. He sent a letter to the senator’s office requesting a health update, saying there were growing concerns over his “ability to hold office.”
“As governor—and a fellow public official who understands the commitment we’ve made to the people we serve—I am requesting the senator provide an update on his current health status,” Beshear said in a news release.
Eventually, McConnell released a statement on July 12 in which he said his hospitalization was caused by a fall that had left him briefly unconscious. He also reported a mild case of pneumonia.
In a subsequent update after another two weeks had passed, McConnell said on July 27, “I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky.”
The GOP’s narrow majority in the Senate was made even smaller with McConnell’s absence.
McConnell’s hospital visit this summer was not his first this year.
He checked himself into a hospital on Feb. 3, his spokesperson said, after experiencing flu-like symptoms.
In 2023, McConnell had two concerning incidents, sparking discussion about his health. While speaking to reporters, the senator appeared to freeze and became unresponsive until he was led away. He was also hospitalized after falling at the U.S. Capitol, spraining his wrist.
“I’m fine. I’m completely recovered, and I’m just fine,” McConnell said after his second episode in 2023. “[W]e ought to be talking about [other matters] rather than my health.”
McConnell’s spokesperson said the senator had “felt momentarily lightheaded” after the second freezing incident.
McConnell is not seeking reelection to what would be his eighth term in November and plans to retire after his current term expires on Jan. 3, 2027. He has served in the Senate since 1985.
A President Donald Trump-backed candidate, Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), won the GOP nomination on May 19 to replace McConnell.
Barr will face off against former Democratic Rep. Charles Booker in the upcoming midterm election.
