Months after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) suffered a medical emergency in June, leading to questions about his health and whether he was even still alive, the senator is finally set to return to the U.S. Senate.
According to Punchbowl News, McConnell’s staff said Thursday that the veteran senator will finally return to the Senate next week, when the chamber reconvenes.
“McConnell’s final plans aren’t yet clear, but GOP leadership sources believe the former Senate Republican leader could make his return for the September work period, which begins Monday,” the Punchbowl story said.
Senate Republicans are tentatively preparing for Sen. Mitch McConnell to be back in the Capitol next week after a three-month absence.
The details from @LauraEWeiss16, @AndrewDesiderio and @sn_handler: https://t.co/r4oMqtyDA5 pic.twitter.com/xWbll3aGNQ
— Punchbowl News (@PunchbowlNews) September 10, 2026
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The 84-year-old former Senate Majority Leader is retiring from the Senate after the end of his term in January.
Punchbowl also shared the many controversies about the senator’s long absence. He had announced in August that he was out of the hospital but would be recovering at home.
“McConnell has been out since mid-June when EMS radio traffic indicated he was unconscious at his D.C. home. McConnell spokesperson David Popp said in a statement at the time that the 84-year-old had been hospitalized,” the report said.
“McConnell’s staff provided no clarity on his condition or prognosis for weeks, fueling speculation about his condition. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, publicly pressed McConnell to provide more clarity or resign. McConnell’s office released the first photo of the senator since his admission in mid-July, saying a fall led to his hospitalization and that he’d been moved to a rehabilitation facility.”
“I’ve still heard absolutely nothing from the senator,” Beshear said Wednesday, as reported by Forbes. “He has been absent from work for about three months now, which is unacceptable. He’s been unwilling to go to camera, to call in to any news program, just to let people know he’s OK or show that he has the capacity to serve.”
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
