US Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, made his first public appearance on Monday following his prolonged absence from the Senate after reportedly having fallen and been hospitalized in mid-June.
McConnell arrived at the Capitol in a wheelchair and with what CNN described as a “noticeably thinner” appearance, but was able to make a few statements to the press while at the Senate for the evening vote series.
“I must admit, after two years – two decades, actually – dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today, but I’m glad to see you,” McConnell told reporters.
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.
My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made…
— U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (@SenMcConnell) September 14, 2026
He also said that it was “Time to get back to work, finish the job for this Congress.”
In a post on X/Twitter, McConnell wrote that he was “really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues.
“My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier,” he wrote. “I’m still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured Leader 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.”
Hospitalization is latest in McConnell’s medical history
McConnell is a former Senate majority leader who helped steer Republicans’ legislation and appointees through Congress.
McConnell’s hospitalization is the latest in his long medical history, from having polio as a child to an eight-day hospital stay in February after experiencing “flu-like symptoms.”
Shir Perets contributed to this report.
