Mitch McConnell returned to the US Senate on Monday after more than three months away, appearing in a wheelchair for an evening vote on a federal appeals court nominee.
The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican and former Senate leader had not been seen in the chamber since casting his last floor vote on June 11. His absence followed a fall at his Capitol Hill home on June 14, after which he was taken by ambulance to George Washington University Hospital.
Mr McConnell was treated and underwent rehabilitation before returning home on August 6. Although his office released photographs and statements in his name, Monday marked his first public appearance since he entered hospital.
In a statement announcing his return, Mr McConnell said: “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 percent,” he added, saying he had told Republican leaders that, while continuing physical therapy on his doctors’ advice, he would “do my best to be present for tough votes when our conference needs me”.
As he was wheeled on to the Senate floor, senators from both parties gathered around him to shake his hand. Dressed in a navy blazer and khaki trousers, he could be heard speaking quietly with colleagues who had come to welcome him back.
Mr McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history, announced in 2024 that he would not seek to remain in the post after a series of falls, an extended absence and episodes in which he appeared to freeze while speaking in public. He said in early 2025 that he would not stand for an eighth term; his current term expires on January 3.
He had polio as a child and has occasionally used a wheelchair to travel from his Senate offices to the chamber, although he had stopped doing so before the incident at his home.
His prolonged absence prompted questions about his health and his ability to continue serving. Andy Beshear, Kentucky’s Democratic governor, questioned whether Mr McConnell was competent to remain in office and suggested he was failing constituents by not stepping down.
Mr McConnell gave no indication that he was considering resigning. Speaking briefly to reporters after his Senate return, he said he remained committed to working on the farm bill and legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia.
“After two years — two decades — of dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today,” he joked, referring to the attention surrounding his return.
