WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate floor on Monday, marking his first appearance after a three-month absence due to health issues. McConnell, 84, was hospitalized on June 14 following a fall at his home and subsequently treated for pneumonia.
He was seen leaving his Washington residence in a wheelchair and waved to reporters before heading to the Capitol.
"Today, I’ll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June. I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues," McConnell wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
During his extended absence, McConnell missed 60 recorded votes, including those concerning judicial confirmations, housing policy, Medicare regulations, and immigration procedures, as well as several votes related to the war in Iran. He made no public appearances or gave interviews during his recovery.
McConnell's prolonged absence had fueled speculation, with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, repeatedly questioning McConnell's fitness to serve and stating that the senator owed an explanation to the people of Kentucky. Despite the release of photos and reports of phone calls from McConnell, his absence sparked conspiracy theories online.
McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1985, is the 10th longest-serving senator in American history. He stepped down as Republican leader in the Senate last year, succeeded by Sen. John Thune of South Dakota. McConnell is not seeking reelection, and his current term concludes in January.
Other senators have also taken extended leaves for health reasons. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was absent for two months in 2023 for depression treatment, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) did not vote in the eight months before his death in 2018.