Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Sep 14: US Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has not announced when he will return to work as the Senate resumes proceedings on September 14 following a five-week recess.
The 84-year-old former Senate majority leader has not provided a public update on whether he plans to resume his duties alongside fellow lawmakers in the upper chamber.
McConnell's absence comes as Senate Republicans hold a narrow 53-seat majority, with little room for defections as the party seeks to advance President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. The Senate's return also comes less than two months before the November midterm elections, which will test Trump's standing in several key battleground states.
McConnell spokesperson David Popp told USA TODAY that the senator's office would make an announcement if there was any new guidance regarding his status.
In a July 12 statement to constituents, McConnell said he had been briefly unconscious after suffering a fall and was subsequently hospitalised. The statement came amid widespread online speculation about his health.
On August 6, McConnell announced that he had been discharged from a rehabilitation centre and was recovering at his Washington residence.
McConnell stepped down as Senate majority leader last year and was succeeded by John Thune of South Dakota. He also decided not to seek re-election to the Senate. Republican Representative Andy Barr is expected to succeed him in Kentucky and contest a full six-year term in November.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat and potential 2028 presidential contender, has criticised McConnell and his office over the limited public information about his health.
In a July 27 letter, Beshear urged McConnell to directly address Kentuckians and demonstrate his capacity to continue serving or resign from office. The letter came as McConnell's office released a new photograph and update saying he was undergoing intensive physical therapy at a rehabilitation facility.
McConnell's continued absence has therefore raised questions about when, or whether, he will return to active Senate duties before the end of his current term.