Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate on Monday for the first time in three months, casting his first vote since June 11 after recovering from a fall at his Washington home and a subsequent hospitalization.
The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican appeared in a wheelchair outside the Senate chamber before voting to advance the nomination of Matthew R. Byrne to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of Ohio.
“Time to get back to work, finish the job of this Congress,” McConnell told reporters outside the Senate chamber.
McConnell Says Recovery Is Ongoing
In a statement before his return, McConnell said his recovery had been lengthy and frustrating. He said the lingering effects of childhood polio had made the process more difficult.
“I’m still not quite back to 100%,” McConnell said, adding that he would continue physical therapy at his doctors’ advice.
McConnell also told reporters he was returning to work on a pending farm bill and because of his longstanding interest in NATO and U.S. support for Ukraine.
His extended absence had prompted questions about his health and whether he would return before the end of his Senate term. McConnell previously disclosed that he had been briefly unconscious after his June fall and was also treated for mild pneumonia.
Return Could Affect Senate Votes
McConnell’s return restores his vote as Senate Republicans prepare for several legislative matters, including another attempt to advance a farm bill.
The agriculture legislation stalled during McConnell’s absence. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) said before McConnell’s return that he expected the Kentucky senator to be available for the committee’s upcoming work.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also said he had spoken with McConnell and welcomed his return.
McConnell Plans To Finish His Term
McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and served as the Republican leader from 2007 until 2025, making him the longest-serving Senate leader in U.S. history.
He has announced that he will retire when his current term ends in January 2027. Republicans have nominated Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky to succeed him, while Democrats have nominated former state lawmaker Charles Booker.
McConnell has said he intends to complete the remainder of his term despite his health challenges.
Senator Has History of Falls
McConnell had polio as a child and has previously acknowledged difficulties with walking and climbing stairs.
A Capitol physician’s statement released after his June hospitalization said McConnell had experienced several falls during the year related to his post-polio condition. The evaluation found no fractures, stroke, tumor, hemorrhage or cardiac abnormalities, and doctors recommended physical therapy to reduce his risk of additional falls.
McConnell also suffered a concussion after a fall in 2023 and later fell and injured his wrist in 2024.
His return Monday marked the first time he had participated in a Senate vote since June 11.
