McConnell Returns to Senate to Vote    09/15 06:07

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky returned to 
the Senate to vote on Monday for the first time in three months, looking 
noticeably more frail after he was hospitalized for a June fall in his home.

   McConnell's lengthy absence from the Senate generated a flood of criticism 
and online speculation, as he initially remained quiet for weeks about his 
condition. The 84-year-old senator eventually disclosed a month later that he 
had been "briefly unconscious" due to the fall and had also been treated for 
mild pneumonia in the hospital.

   He briefly addressed reporters Monday from a wheelchair outside the Senate 
chamber, smiling but speaking slowly and with some difficulty. McConnell joked 
that he wasn't sure how many reporters would be there after dodging so many 
questions during his almost two decades as leader.

   He said he was back in the Senate to work on a pending farm bill and because 
he has an ongoing interest in NATO and "backing up our good friends who are 
totally in the fight against the Russians."

   Reporters and photographers were told by Senate staff not to take video of 
his remarks in the second-floor hallway, even though video is often permitted 
in that area. Still images were allowed.

   McConnell, who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Senate 
leader, is in his final months of his four decades in office. He is retiring at 
the end of January after one of the most consequential careers in modern 
politics.

   Republicans have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to replace him, while 
Democrats have nominated former state lawmaker Charles Booker. McConnell has 
said he is determined to finish out his term.

   McConnell suggests he's still recovering

   In a statement issued before his remarks, McConnell made clear that he may 
still miss some votes due to his health issues.

   He said that he is "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."

   "My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the 
lingering effects of childhood polio haven't made it any easier," McConnell 
said in the statement.

   The senator's extended leave highlighted increasing public concern about the 
age of lawmakers and their capacity to carry out their duties. Speculation 
about his condition grew so intense at one point that Kentucky's Democratic 
Gov. Andy Beshear took the extraordinary step of issuing a public letter asking 
McConnell to update the public in a "transparent manner."

   McConnell's absence was also felt over the summer as Republicans were unable 
to advance a farm bill out of committee. His return could give GOP leaders a 
needed vote as they try to advance legislation on cryptocurrency regulation and 
college sports.

   A history of health problems

   McConnell had polio in his early childhood and has long acknowledged 
difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs.

   A statement from the Capitol physician that was included with McConnell's 
July release said that the senator has "experienced several falls through the 
year" due to his "post-polio condition." The office said his physical therapy 
was aimed at reducing the risk of him falling again.

   "A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he 
had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage," the 
physician's office said.

   McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the Republican 
leader from 2007 until last year, serving as both majority and minority leader 
during that period.

   Toward the end of his time as leader and in the last two years as a rank and 
file senator, McConnell's health has visibly declined.

   He was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks 
of work after falling in a Washington hotel. He twice froze up during news 
conferences after he returned, staring vacantly ahead before colleagues and 
staff. A year later, he fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP 
luncheon.