Mitch McConnell has not been seen in public for nearly three months and with the Senate returning to Washington on Monday, there is still no clear answer on whether the 84-year-old Republican will be there.
The longtime Kentucky senator has been away from Capitol Hill since June 14, 2026, when he fell at his Washington home that left him briefly unconscious and he had to go into hospice care.
McConnell later revealed that he did not suffer a stroke, heart attack, concussion or broken bones in the fall. However, he developed a mild case of pneumonia while receiving treatment.
He was eventually moved to a rehabilitation facility before returning home on August 6 to continue physical therapy.
Since then, there have been limited updates regarding his health.
McConnell’s office was asked again this week whether he would return when the Senate reconvenes on September 14. Instead of giving a yes or no answer, it pointed reporters back to his August statement.
That statement only said McConnell would continue an “intensive regimen of physical therapy” at home while remaining involved in Senate business through his staff.
There are signs, however, that Republicans expect him back.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a fellow Kentucky Republican, said McConnell’s staff had told him their goal was to have the senator return when the Senate comes back.
“I expect that. I sure hope so,” Comer said, while acknowledging that he had not personally spoken to McConnell.
Republican Senate leaders are also reportedly preparing for the possibility of his return next week, although his final plans remain unclear.
McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history, has already announced he will not seek another term and is due to leave the Senate in January 2027.
2026-09-12 19:54:00
