Overview
- Senator Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he was discharged from a Washington-area rehabilitation center and will follow an intensive physical-therapy regimen at home while remaining engaged with staff.
- The Office of the Attending Physician has said he underwent multiple daily therapy sessions to rebuild strength and reduce fall risk, and his team gave no timeline for a return to the Senate floor.
- McConnell has missed roughly 47 to 51 consecutive roll-call votes since his June 14 fall, a gap that has narrowed the GOP effective margin and slowed committee business such as the farm bill.
- Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and other officials have pressed for more direct medical verification after the office released only written statements and two photos during the hospitalization.
- McConnell’s childhood bout with polio is cited by his doctors as a lasting mobility factor, and Kentucky’s changed vacancy rules mean a prolonged absence or early vacancy could lead to a speedy special election rather than a gubernatorial appointment.