Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will not be returning to Capitol Hill this week, his office announced Monday, extending his recovery from a fall at his Louisville home in mid-June. The Kentucky senator, who remains in rehabilitative care, disclosed that he cannot attend the annual Fancy Farm picnic this Saturday, an event he has long considered a crucial part of his political calendar.
In a statement, McConnell acknowledged the disappointment of missing the weekend gathering while doubling down on his commitment to recovery. "I'm still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors' orders," he said, adding that he looks forward to resuming his duties "soon."
The Office of the Attending Physician confirmed that McConnell "continues his recovery from a fall at home in June" and "is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office." Doctors have prescribed multiple daily sessions of physical therapy designed to rebuild strength and reduce the chance of additional falls.
McConnell has now missed 38 consecutive Senate floor votes, a significant absence during a critical legislative window. The chamber remains in session for the next two weeks before the summer recess begins. His office did not specify when he might be cleared to resume his duties.
The senator first disclosed details of his hospitalization in early July, explaining that he had suffered a fall and lost consciousness briefly. He emphasized at that time that he had not experienced a heart attack, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage. His wife, Elaine Chao, appeared alongside him in a new photograph released by his office on Monday.
McConnell's extended absence comes as he winds down his decades-long career in the Senate. He announced earlier this year that he will not seek re-election when his current term expires at the end of this Congress, marking his departure from the chamber after nearly four decades.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "McConnell's silence on a concrete return date is notable given the GOP's thin margins and the legislative calendar tightening, leaving his colleagues without a clear sense of when they'll have their leader back on the floor."
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