Mitch McConnell has not been seen in public for more than 80 days, prompting a senior Kentucky Republican to say he “expects” the veteran senator to return to Washington when the Senate reconvenes later this month.
James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said he had not spoken to Mr McConnell personally but had been in contact with members of his staff.
“I have not talked to Leader McConnell,” Mr Comer told reporters on Capitol Hill. “I’ve talked to staff, many of whom are from my district originally, and they have all said it’s their goal for Senator McConnell to be here when they, when the Senate comes in next week.”
Mr Comer added that he “sure hopes” the 84-year-old senator will return on September 14, when the chamber is due to resume business after its summer recess.
Mr McConnell was taken to hospital on June 14 after a fall at his home and has not appeared publicly since. His office has declined to provide a detailed account of his condition, while attempts to obtain comment from his staff and other members of Kentucky’s congressional delegation have been unsuccessful.
In a statement released on August 6, Mr McConnell said he had left a rehabilitation centre and was continuing his recovery at home. He said doctors had advised him to undertake an “intensive regimen of physical therapy” during the Senate’s state work period while continuing to work with his staff and colleagues.
He had earlier said that he was briefly unconscious after the fall and had subsequently been treated for a mild case of pneumonia. His doctors said he had not suffered a heart attack, stroke, fracture, concussion, tumour or haemorrhage.
A photograph released in late July showed Mr McConnell at home with his wife, Elaine Chao. A note from his doctor said he was undergoing a strenuous programme of physical therapy and rehabilitation following his discharge from hospital care.
The prolonged absence has intensified questions about when Mr McConnell will resume his duties in the Senate. The Senate’s official schedule states that it will return at 3pm on Monday, September 14, with a vote planned that evening.
Mr McConnell, who is serving his final term and is not seeking re-election, has faced a series of health difficulties in recent years. He stepped down as Republican leader in 2024 after 18 years in the post, with John Thune succeeding him.
He first entered the Senate in 1985 and became the longest-serving party leader in the chamber’s history. His retirement has opened the way for Congressman Andy Barr, who won the Republican nomination to succeed him in Kentucky.
