{"id":2008,"date":"2026-09-15T10:19:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T10:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=2008"},"modified":"2026-09-15T10:19:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T10:19:51","slug":"mcconnell-returns-to-senate-after-three-month-absence-casts-key-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=2008","title":{"rendered":"McConnell Returns to Senate After Three-Month Absence, Casts Key Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to the U.S. Capitol on Monday for the first time in three months. The ailing lawmaker cast a key judicial vote after an extended absence following a fall and hospitalization.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=2006\">Former CIA Director John Brennan Subpoenaed in DOJ Trump-Russia Investigation<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican arrived in a wheelchair and briefly addressed reporters before heading to the Senate floor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI must admit, after two decades dodging your questions, I wasn\u2019t sure how many of you would be here today,\u201d McConnell joked. \u201cBut I\u2019m glad to see you. It\u2019s time to get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McConnell later voted to advance the nomination of Matthew R. Byrne to serve as a federal district judge in Ohio. His vote proved decisive in moving the nomination forward.<\/p>\n<p>His return could also help break a partisan deadlock on the Senate Agriculture Committee, where McConnell serves as a member. His absence left the panel divided 11-11 and complicated efforts to advance a new farm bill.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell said he intends to work on the farm bill while continuing to advocate for NATO and support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, I\u2019ll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June,\u201d McConnell said in a statement. He described his recovery as \u201ca long and often frustrating process,\u201d complicated by the lingering effects of childhood polio.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=2004\">Lindsay Clancy and Toxic Femininity<\/a><\/p>\n<p>McConnell acknowledged he has not fully recovered but said he intends to participate in important votes while continuing physical therapy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still not quite back to 100%,\u201d he said, adding that he had assured Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., that he would \u201cdo my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McConnell was hospitalized June 14 after falling at his Washington home. He later said he briefly lost consciousness and was treated for mild pneumonia. He subsequently entered a rehabilitation facility before being discharged Aug. 6 to continue recovering at home.<\/p>\n<p>The lengthy absence and limited public information about his condition prompted questions about his health and ability to serve.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell, who has represented Kentucky in the Senate since 1985 and is the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, is not seeking another term. He plans to retire when his current term ends in January.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=2002\">A Tale of Three Cities<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ailing lawmaker cast a key judicial vote after an extended absence following a fall and hospitalization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>McConnell Returns to Senate After Three-Month Absence, Casts Key Vote - Urban Economy news<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/urbaneconomynews.com\/?p=2008\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"McConnell Returns to Senate After Three-Month Absence, Casts Key Vote - 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