Senator Mitch McConnell Returns to Senate After Three-Month Absence
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The 84-year-old Kentucky senator attended a vote on Thursday after a three-month hospital stay, but his movements and participation on the Senate floor were limited.
Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, returned to the Capitol this week after a three-month hospitalization. On Thursday he was seen being loaded into an SUV and traveled to the Senate, where he cast a "yea" vote on a procedural measure related to a bipartisan college-sports bill. Video of the Senate floor did not capture him as his name was called, and he did not take part in two subsequent votes that afternoon.
McConnell was not present for a vote on confirming a district judge, and he was among several senators who missed that procedural vote. His office did not immediately respond to inquiries about his whereabouts after the vote.
Independent journalist Desirée Townsend recorded McConnell being loaded into the vehicle outside his Washington, D.C., residence. He wore a green tie, smiled, and gave a thumbs-up gesture, but did not answer questions. A bruise was visible on his left hand. His chief of staff, Terry Carmack, accompanied him.
No images have been released showing McConnell moving through the Capitol corridors. Earlier in the week, he delivered a brief statement outside the Senate chamber, a location where video recording is prohibited under Senate Rules, and he did not take questions. During a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting, he appeared to need prompting before voting on the Farm Bill, ultimately saying "aye" in a raspy voice before leaving the room.
The limited public appearances and his health condition have prompted discussion among observers about the senator's capacity to fulfill his duties.