Senator Mitch McConnell is still not cleared to return to work, his office confirmed on Monday, six weeks after he was hospitalized following a fall at his home. The Republican lawmaker, a former Senate majority leader, has been absent from the Senate and not seen in public since mid-June.
Intense Physical Therapy Underway
An update released alongside a new photograph of McConnell said he was undergoing “intense physical therapy” and is “working hard” to get back to his duties. “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.
In the statement, the 84-year-old Kentucky senator said he would not be able to attend the annual Fancy Farm picnic this coming weekend. “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. “I hate that I’ll miss the fun this year, but I’m sending my best wishes to the St Jerome community for a successful picnic. As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon.”
Details of Hospitalization
McConnell’s office initially said he was hospitalized and recovering in mid-June but did not elaborate. After weeks of silence and mounting speculation, his office provided an update on 12 July, revealing he was admitted to the hospital on 14 June after a fall at his home that left him “briefly unconscious”. He was recovering at a rehabilitation center and also disclosed he had been dealing with “a mild case of pneumonia”.
McConnell has missed 38 Senate votes since his hospitalization. He announced last year that he would not seek re-election and is set to retire at the end of his term in January.
Physician’s Statement
McConnell’s office released a statement from the Office of the Attending Physician (OAP) in Congress. “OAP physicians visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care,” it said. “Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls.”
“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility,” the statement added. “He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”
