Sen. Mitch McConnell, the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican, is approaching his third month out of office as he recovers from serious health concerns, leaving his congressional colleagues in the dark about whether he’ll return to the Senate.
McConnell entered a Washington hospital in June for what was described as a fall, and despite his August discharge from rehab, he has yet to give any public indication on his expected return date. Even his Kentucky coworkers have resorted to speculation when asked about his condition.
“I have not talked to Leader McConnell,” Republican Rep. James Comer told reporters this past week. “I’ve talked to his staff, many of whom are from my district originally, and they have all said it’s their goal for Senator McConnell to be here when the Senate comes in next week.”
The Senate returns from its monthlong recess on Sept. 14, when it will begin its final legislative period before the November midterm elections. Republicans face a daunting agenda set by President Donald Trump, including a third party-line budget bill facing challenging odds of passage. The absence of McConnell, a reliably red vote, will shrink the margins the GOP has to push through Trump’s priorities.
McConnell’s Democratic critics have called on him to explain his status, exploiting the Republican’s condition as the calendar continues flipping and the midterms approach.
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“His boss are the people of Kentucky,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told CBS News’s “Face the Nation” last month. “And this is why the Senate — the Republican-controlled Senate feels so broken. They feel like they’re not accountable to anyone.
“All he needs to do is call into this show for two minutes, or Fox News for two minutes, or do a video for two minutes to the people he’s supposed to serve, but you know what? He absolutely refuses to do it.”
McConnell has not returned a request for comment. He said in a statement distributed by his team a month ago that he was continuing his recovery at home.
“On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business,” he said.
In July, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he spoke with McConnell on Monday and the two had a “lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” according to a Thune spokesperson.
McConnell announced earlier this year he’d leave the chamber at the end of his term in January, concluding a 41-year career in Congress for retirement in the Bluegrass State.