Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has returned to the Capitol, casting his first vote since a June fall and signaling that, despite months of speculation and partisan rumor-mongering, he intends to finish his term on his own terms.
According to RedState, the Kentucky Republican appeared on the Senate floor on Monday for the first time since he was hospitalized after falling at his Washington, D.C., home earlier this summer.
McConnells staff previously disclosed that he had developed pneumonia during his recovery and had been transferred to a rehabilitation facility to rebuild his strength, a process that kept him away from the chamber for several months.
Despite the conspiracy theorists, naysayers, and people who just enjoy being hateful, McConnell is alive, and today is doing well enough to speak briefly with the press and interact with his Senate colleagues.
His reappearance has left more than a few critics scrambling, particularly those who spent the summer insisting, without evidence, that the 81-year-old senator was on the brink of political or physical collapse.
Personally, some of us are feeling chuffed.
Especially political pundit and Salem radio host Scott Jennings, who was lambasted in July for reporting on his conversation with McConnell during his hospitalization.
McConnell is a friend and mentor to Jennings, but many made it out to be a farce.
Yet the senators return has vindicated Jennings account and exposed the eagerness of some on the leftand a few on the populist rightto weaponize health rumors when it suits their narrative.
Oh look McConnell voted tonight and was the deciding vote to move ahead with one of Trumps judicial nominees.
Lots of crow being consumed today. As it should be.
Throughout McConnell's months-long absence, he issued two statements about his health and the reasons for the length of his break from Congress.
To many, this was unsatisfactory, but in a constitutional republic, an elected official who is not in leadership is not obligated to provide a running medical diary simply to appease online agitators.
As RedState reported, the senator has not been in leadership for almost two years, and whether we like it or not, what he did (or did not) choose to reveal about his health crisis and the journey back was his choice.
That basic principle of personal privacy did not stop some Democrats and media figures from pressing for more details, often in ways that seemed less about transparency and more about political opportunity.
However, certain elected officials, especially Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), should be drafting statements of apology for their role in fueling the conspiracy theories rather than reporting facts on the ground.
Beshears posture throughout the episode played neatly into progressive talking points, casting McConnell as incapacitated while conveniently ignoring the senators long record of legislative effectiveness and resilience.
Not a McConnell fan at all, but this sure does make @AndyBeshearKY look like he was trying to commit elder abuse by harassing an old man. We have laws against that in Florida.
That blunt assessment from social media captured the frustration of many conservatives who saw Beshears public pressure campaign as political theater masquerading as concern.
Late this afternoon, CNN recorded this footage of McConnell being wheeled from his home into a car in order to proceed to Capitol Hill.
WATCH: New: Sen. Mitch McConnell was just seen leaving his home in Washington, DC, for the first time after a three-month absence from the Senate due to health issues.
CNN Congressional correspondent Manu Raju captured images of McConnell and his remarks to the press.
Mitch McConnell, appearing frailer and his voice slower, tells reporters: I must admit, after two years, two decades, actually dodging your questions, I wasn't sure how many of you would be here today, but I'm glad to see you.
Time to get back to work, finish the job for this Congress. I'm here to work on the farm bill... As I think you know, I have an ongoing issue in NATO and backing up our good friends who are totally in the fight against the Russians.
He didnt answer any questions, but his brief comments underscored that his focus remains on policy, not on indulging the medias fixation with his medical chart.
Compared to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) when she was being wheeled around Capitol Hill, McConnell looks sentient and alert.
The contrast is not lost on conservatives who watched Democrats prop up Feinstein for months despite obvious cognitive and physical decline, all while lecturing Republicans about McConnells fitness.
CSPAN captured McConnell being greeted by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and other colleagues as he was wheeled into the chamber.
WATCH: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY @SenMcConnell) returns to the Senate to vote for the first time since June 11.
McConnell also posted this to his X account: Today, Ill cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June. Im really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues.
Today, Ill cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June. Im really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues.
My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio havent made it any easier. Im still not quite back to 100%, but Ive assured Leader 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.
Elaine and I are very grateful for all the continued well wishes from our fellow Kentuckians, and Im glad to get back to more of business as usual on their behalf this month.
Those "tough votes" will no doubt include an appropriations vote on a funding bill to keep the government running, the Farm bill, the Crypto bill, and the College Sports bill, among others.
Congress will be in session through the end of September, when they will recess in early October ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
McConnell did not seek reelection, so this will be his final Senate term when it ends in January 2027.
That reality adds weight to his pledge to finish the job for this Congress, as he seeks to shape spending, agriculture, regulatory policy, and foreign affairs in a way that reflects conservative priorities and checks the Biden administration.
RedState has extensively covered all of the updates on McConnell's health here.
RedState has covered Sen. McConnell's health crisis from the beginning, as well as the fallout from his office and staff's lack of transparency concerning the senator's condition.
As RedState reported, McConnell was rushed to the hospital on June 14, and for several weeks, his staff maintained radio silence and would not release updates on his condition.
After much internet outcry, social media conspiracies, and a letter from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) begging for an update on McConnell's condition, the senator and his wife Elaine Chao supplied a full written statement and a "proof of life" photo to allay concerns on July 12.
On July 27, McConnell issued a second statement updating on his improving health, along with a new photo.
The Congressional Office of the Attending Physician (OAP) also issued a statement in conjunction with McConnell's letting the public know that the senator was not cleared to return to his full duties, and as of this writing, OAP has not issued any new statements on McConnell's fitness to return to the Senate.
For now, McConnells presence on the floor and his own words carry more weight than the silence of bureaucrats or the noise of online activists.
He may be in the twilight of his Senate career, but his return underscores a basic conservative principle: elected officials answer to their voters, not to media mobs or partisan governors eager to script someone elses exit.
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