by Misty Severi
Former Senate Republican Leader and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell announced Monday that he has officially returned to the upper chamber from his months-long absence, which came after he suffered a fall in June.
McConnell, 84, has been out of the Senate since June 14 after he was hospitalized from the fall. He was discharged to his home from a rehabilitation center to continue his recovery and to undergo further therapy last month.
McConnell said in a post on X that he will be casting his first vote on Monday and that although he is still recovering, he will work hard to be present in the chamber for major votes.
“Today, I’ll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June,” he wrote. “I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues. 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,” he continued. “Elaine 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.”
During the months-long hiatus, McConnell issued several statements updating the public on his condition. He issued one on July 12th, after Gov. Andy BeShear asked McConnell for a public health update a few days earlier. The senator also issued a statement about his health on July 27th, noting he was still “working hard to get back to [his] full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky.”
On August 6th, McConnell said he had been discharged from a rehabilitation center and continued to work with his staff and colleagues on “important Senate business.”
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Misty Severi is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
