McConnell to return to Capitol after five-week absence 

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Thursday announced he would return to the Capitol on Monday for the first time in more than five weeks after suffering a concussion at a private dinner in early March.

McConnell tweeted that he would be in the Capitol when the Senate returns from the two-week April recess.  

“I am looking forward to returning to the Senate on Monday. We’ve got important business to tackle and big fights to win for Kentuckians and the American people,” he tweeted.

The Senate is set to convene at 3 p.m. Monday and vote later that afternoon to advance Radha Iyengar Plumb’s nomination to serve as a deputy undersecretary of Defense.  

McConnell, who is 81, suffered a concussion after tripping and falling at a private dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in downtown Washington, D.C., on March 8. He was taken by an ambulance to an undisclosed hospital where he stayed for several days of rest and observation.  

The GOP leader was discharged from the hospital on March 13 to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, where he continued to recover until doctors sent him home on March 25.  

In a statement last month, McConnell thanked “everyone for all the kind wishes” and he would follow the advice of his physical therapists and work from home for a few weeks while staying in touch with his Senate Republican colleagues in Washington. 

Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2-ranking member of the Senate GOP leadership, stood in for McConnell during his absence from Washington but continued to coordinate closely with the leader.  

McConnell texted and chatted with members of his leadership team, including Thune, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (Wyo.), to update them on his health.  

He also sent messages to the broader Senate Republican Conference to assure them of his wellbeing and express his regret over missing special lunches hosted by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah).  

McConnell’s absence from the Capitol overlapped several major news events, including former President Trump’s announcement that he expected to be indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D).  

McConnell, who has rarely commented on Trump since their falling out after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, has not said anything publicly on Trump’s arraignment on 34 felony counts.