WASHINGTON - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is back at work in the U.S. Capitol on Monday, almost six weeks after a fall at a Washington-area hotel and extended treatment for a concussion.The longtime Kentucky senator, 81, has been recovering at home since he was released from a rehabilitation facility March 25.
He fell after attending an event earlier that month, injuring his head and fracturing a rib.McConnell arrived at the Capitol early Monday and is expected to work a full schedule in the Senate this week.In brief remarks on the Senate floor as the chamber came back into session after a two-week recess, McConnell criticized President Joe Biden for not doing enough to negotiate on the nation’s debt ceiling and thanked his colleagues for their well-wishes."I’m very happy to be back," McConnell said. "There’s important business for Congress to tackle."WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 17: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) walks to the Senate Chambers at the U.S.
Capitol Building on April 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. McConnell returns to the hill after recovering from a concussion and a fractured r And he joked, "Suffice it to say, this wasn’t the first time that being hard-headed has served me very well."McConnell returns to the Senate ahead of a busy stretch in which Congress will have to find a way to raise the debt ceiling and negotiate additional aid for the Ukraine war, among other policy matters.
And he comes back as several other senators have been out for medical reasons, raising questions about how much the Senate will be able to achieve in the coming months with a 51-49 split between the parties.U.S.