Apr 13, 2023 - Politics & Policy

McConnell to return to Senate as April recess ends

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, wearing a light blue suit, white shirt, blue-and-yellow striped tie and glasses, speaks to reporters at the Capitol.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday he would return to the Senate when the chamber returns from recess, after more than a month of recovering from a fall.

Why it matters: His return is expected to put Senate Republicans at full strength as Democrats grapple with the impact of the protracted absence of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-Calif.) on their two-seat majority.

Driving the news: "I am looking forward to returning to the Senate on Monday," the Senate GOP leader said in a tweet.

  • "We've got important business to tackle and big fights to win for Kentuckians and the American people."

The backdrop: The 81-year-old McConnell was hospitalized after falling at a fundraising dinner early last month. He was later treated for a concussion and a minor rib fracture, according to his staff.

Between the lines: McConnell's fellow Republican senators had expressed concerns about the ramifications of a prolonged absence, both on floor votes and in the sense of a broader leadership vacuum.

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