Sen. Mitch McConnell has returned to Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. three months after being hospitalized for a medical emergency.
“Today, I’ll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June,” McConnell, 84, revealed in a statement on Monday, September 14. “I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues.”
He continued, “My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier. I’m still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured Leader [John Thune] that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.”
“[My wife] 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,” his statement concluded.
McConnell subsequently cast a vote to advance the nomination of Matthew Byrne to become U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Ohio, per NBC News. (Senate records suggest that McConnell had not cast a vote since June 11 before Monday’s appearance in the Senate chambers. )
“[It’s] time to get back to work, finish the job for this Congress,” he told reporters.
He was seen traveling through the halls of the U.S. Capitol building, giving a thumbs-up to reporters who asked about his condition.
The Kentucky Senator was reportedly found unconscious at his Washington D.C. residence on June 14, per multiple media outlets. (McConnell had previously been hospitalized in February after experiencing flu-like symptoms.)
McConnell’s spokesperson, Stephanie Penn, initially said on July 1 that the politician was “working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery” while also confirming he would not cast a vote that week.
Conspiracy theories about McConnell’s health spread throughout right-wing social media circles, prompting his staff to release a photo of the senator with his wife Chao, 73, at his bedside on July 12.
Accompanying the so-called “proof of life” photo was a new statement from McConnell explaining that his hospitalization was prompted by a fall at his home.
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” McConnell said in a statement on July 12. “But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”
He added, “In fact, with signs of continued progress, I’ve been able to move from hospital care to a rehabilitation center where I’ll keep regaining my strength.”
Rumors about McConnell’s health continued to swirl over the next several weeks, especially after he confirmed on July 27 that he wasn’t yet ready to leave rehab.
“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday,” he announced. “There’s no place I’d rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on pork and mutton.”
McConnell stressed that he was thankful for “all of your continued well wishes” and is “looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon.”
A separate statement from his staff indicated that McConnell “continues his recovery from a fall at home in June.”
“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls,” his staff’s July 27 statement read. “His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”
The former Senate Majority Leader was released from rehab on August 6.
McConnell, who was elected in 1984, has served in the Senate for 41 years. He will retire at the end of 2026.
