Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after three-month health absence

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to the press as he arrives for a vote at the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 14, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Finn Gomez | Getty ImagesSen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., returned to the Capitol on Monday after a three-month absence following a fall that left him hospitalized and out of public view for 92 days.McConnell said he has assured Senate Majority Leader John Thune that he will "do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.""Today, I'll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June," McConnell said in a statement. "I'm really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues."The appearance is the first time the 84-year-old former Senate Republican leader had been seen publicly since he was hospitalized June 14, ending months of questions about his condition and whether he would be able to return before his final term expires in January.McConnell had not cast a Senate vote since June 11 and missed dozens of votes during his absence. His return comes as senators reconvene Monday following a five-week summer recess. McConnell, considered a master of legislative rules, was hospitalized after ...