As the Senate returns, questions remain about Mitch McConnell

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has not made an official announcement about his return to work, even as the Senate marks a return of its own from recess Sept. 14.

The former Senate majority leader, 84, has yet to offer public updates about his status in the Senate – including whether he plans to resume work alongside congressional colleagues in the upper chamber.

The Senate returns Sept. 14 from a five-week recess, less than two months away from November's midterm elections that will test Trump's popularity in key swing states. His absence comes as Senate Republicans face an already slim 53-seat majority which relies on little to no defections in order to enact President Donald Trump's sweeping agenda.

McConnell's spokesperson David Popp told USA TODAY in a statement that "we will be sure to let everyone know if we have any guidance or announcements."

In a July 12 statement to his constituents, the seven-term senator said he was "briefly unconscious" after a fall and was admitted to a hospital amid rampant online speculation about his health. He announced Aug. 6 that he was discharged from a rehabilitation center and is now recovering at his Washington residence.

McConnell left his role as…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/