Mitch McConnell returns to Senate return after long absence

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, returned to the Senate on Sept. 14 after a monthslong absence that fueled nationwide speculation about his well-being.

“Today, I'll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June. I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues," McConnell said in a statement.

“My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier. I’m still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured (Senate Majority Leader John Thune) that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me," he added.

The seven-term senator, 84, returned to Capitol Hill for a vote that coincides with the end of a five-week Senate recess on Sept. 14. For much of the summer, McConnell's absence complicated the political dynamics in the upper chamber, where Republicans wield a slim 53-seat majority that requires few to no defections to be able to enact President Donald Trump's policy priorities.

The senator's extended absence – and his office's lack of…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/travel/