Mitch McConnell remains medically unable to return to the Senate, his office confirmed Monday, more than a month and a half after a tumble at his home sent the Kentucky Republican to the hospital in mid-June.
The 84-year-old senator is undergoing aggressive physical therapy and has not yet been cleared by congressional physicians to leave rehabilitation and resume work. A fresh photograph released alongside a new statement showed McConnell alongside his wife, Elaine Chao, dated July 26.
"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," McConnell said in a statement released by his office.
The senator also announced he would miss the annual Fancy Farm picnic in Kentucky this coming weekend, an event he described as a highlight of his year. "There's no place I'd rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky, feasting on pork and mutton," he said, adding that he looked forward to returning to both chamber duties and his home state soon.
McConnell has been out of public view and absent from the Senate floor since mid-June. His office initially provided minimal details about his condition, but broke weeks of silence on July 12 with a fuller accounting. At that time, the office disclosed that McConnell had fallen at home on June 14 and was briefly unconscious, leading to his hospitalization. He was also dealing with a mild case of pneumonia.
The senator used that statement to address the long silence, saying that people of his generation often hesitate to discuss the vulnerabilities that come with aging.
The Office of the Attending Physician, which oversees health care for Congress, issued its own statement confirming that McConnell has not been medically cleared to return. The attending physicians visit with him daily and have structured a demanding rehabilitation program with multiple daily sessions designed to rebuild strength and guard against future falls.
The congressional medical office also noted that McConnell's childhood polio remains a significant factor affecting his mobility and recovery.
McConnell has missed 38 Senate votes during his absence. He announced last year that he would not seek re-election and plans to leave the Senate when his current term ends in January.
Author James Rodriguez: "McConnell's absence has dragged on far longer than typical recovery timelines suggest, raising real questions about whether the former majority leader can meaningfully serve out his final months."
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