Apr 13, 2023 - Politics & Policy

McConnell to return to Senate as April recess ends

Andrew Solender

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.

The announcement also comes after rumors circulated on Thursday that McConnell's deputies were preparing for him to announce his retirement.

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.

After several days in the hospital, he spent nearly two weeks in inpatient physical therapy.
McConnell returned to his D.C. home late last month but said, on the advice of his doctors, he would not return to the Senate before the two-week April recess.

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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McConnell to return to Senate as April recess ends

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