Mitch McConnell made another highly watched appearance on Capitol Hill Tuesday, returning to the Senate in a wheelchair just one day after ending a 92-day absence from Washington.
The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican was seen being pushed through the Capitol ahead of an afternoon Senate vote, with staffers surrounding him as reporters called out questions.
Sen. Mitch McConnell leaves his home to head to the 2:15 p.m. vote on the CLARITY Act. He missed this morning’s roll call vote. It appears McConnell may be showing up primarily for votes where his vote could actually count or matter. Confirmation votes, for the most part, don’t need his vote to get across the finish line.
— Desirée Townsend (@DesireeReports) September 15, 2026
McConnell did not stop to answer them. Instead, he acknowledged the press with a thumbs-up and a peace sign before being helped into a waiting vehicle.
His Tuesday appearance came after he returned to the Senate on Monday for the first time since June, when a fall at his Washington home left him briefly unconscious and resulted in hospitalization. McConnell later disclosed that he was also treated for mild pneumonia.
McConnell spent additional time in rehabilitation before being released in early August. He has said he is still recovering and is “not quite back to 100%.”
The longtime senator appeared noticeably thinner during his return and has been using a wheelchair.
On Monday, McConnell briefly addressed reporters outside the Senate chamber, joking about his long history of avoiding their questions before declaring that it was “time to get back to work.”
He said one of his priorities is completing work on the farm bill before his current Senate term ends.
McConnell cast his first Senate vote in months Monday, helping advance the nomination of Matthew Byrne to become a federal judge in Ohio. He had not voted since June 11 and missed dozens of votes during his absence.
Tuesday brought another major vote, this time involving the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, a sweeping cryptocurrency regulation bill.
The Senate ultimately failed to advance the legislation. The procedural vote fell short of the 60 votes required to move forward.
McConnell’s lengthy disappearance from Capitol Hill had drawn growing attention because his office released only limited information during much of his recovery.
His return also comes during the final months of his decades-long Senate career.
McConnell, who has represented Kentucky in the Senate since 1985 and previously served as the chamber’s Republican leader, has announced that he will leave office when his term expires in January 2027.
For now, McConnell is back in Washington — but his return has looked very different from the longtime power broker Americans became accustomed to seeing stride through the halls of the Capitol.
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