‘Time to get back to work’: Mitch McConnell returns to Senate

Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate Monday for the first time since he was hospitalized three months ago.

“After two years, two decades, actually, of dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today,” McConnell said in brief remarks to reporters. “So I’m glad to see you. Time to get back to work, finish the job of this Congress.”

McConnell used a wheelchair Monday, as he did at times before his most recent hospitalization, and his words were at times stilted as he spoke in the Capitol. In a longer statement sent by his office, McConnell indicated that he would not necessarily be participating in every vote before his term ends.

“My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier,” he said in the statement. “I’m still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured [Majority Leader John Thune] that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.”

McConnell’s return comes after GOP lawmakers signaled in recent weeks that they expected the 84-year-old former Republican leader to return to the Capitol this week.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), who serves with McConnell on the Agriculture and Appropriations committees, told reporters Monday he expects McConnell to be in the Senate this week for “key” votes — including one in the Agriculture panel Wednesday on the farm bill.

The senator’s staff told senior Republicans he would attend the planned Wednesday panel vote on the farm bill, which stalled earlier this summer amid his absence, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter who were also granted anonymity.

McConnell mentioned finishing the farm bill as one of his priorities during his remaining time in the Senate.

His vote is needed to get the GOP-written farm bill out of the Agriculture Committee after Chair John Boozman told POLITICO that he is intending to have another vote this week.

Thune told reporters Monday "I hope he's available on Wednesday" to advance the farm bill and otherwise welcomed him back to work.

"I talked to him Wednesday of last week and he sounded great," he said. "He was asking a lot of questions about the campaigns and he's still dialed into all that stuff."

McConnell has not voted in person since his office announced on June 14 that he had been hospitalized, but the lack of details had fueled online conspiracy theories and even calls from some fellow politicians, including Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, for more transparency.

McConnell released a lengthy statement in July explaining that he was initially hospitalized for a fall and later developed pneumonia. He indicated at the time he intended to return to the Senate and serve out the remainder of his term, but he didn’t say when that would happen.

Reporters and social media influencers could be seen Monday morning camped outside McConnell’s Capitol Hill home, watching to see if he would appear ahead of a scheduled evening vote.