Republican senator Mitch McConnell returns to Capitol Hill after months-long hiatus while recovering from fall – live

Republican senator Mitch McConnell returns to Capitol Hill after months-long hiatus while recovering from fall – live. Mitch McConnell returned to the Capitol on Monday for the first time since he was hospitalized three months ago after a fall at his Washington home that briefly left him unconscious.

What happened

Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. , returned to the Capitol on Monday after a three-month absence following a fall that left him hospitalized and out of public view for 92 days. McConnell returns to Congress to vote for the first time in several months and says in a statement, ‘I’m really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor’Sign up for the Breaking News US emailDonald Trump has claimed there is a “SICK conspiracy” against artificial intelligence and data centers in response to the growing calls for greater checks on AI development. “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ! ) PRESIDENT, and the U. S. A. has that, in spades! ” Trump wrote on Truth Social, insisting that the administration has stopped leaders of AI companies from “doing bad, or potentially bad” things. However, he didn’t point to any concrete examples for how he has curbed possible abuse or malfeasance in the industry. There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China … We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers, BEWARE! Continue reading. . .

McConnell’s prolonged absence and limited public updates prompted Kentucky Gov. McConnell, 84, is the longest-serving Senate leader in U. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to the press as he arrives for a vote at the U. ""Today, I'll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June," McConnell said in a statement. "The appearance is the first time the 84-year-old former Senate Republican leader had been seen publicly since he was hospitalized June 14, ending months of questions about his condition and whether he would be able to return before his final term expires in January.

The wider picture

McConnell, considered a master of legislative rules, was hospitalized after falling at his Washington home on June 14. But McConnell's prolonged absence from public view fueled mounting scrutiny over his health. His office released written statements and two photos of McConnell during his recovery, including one showing him alongside his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, holding a newspaper. McConnell, who arrived at the Senate in a wheelchair, acknowledged Monday that his recovery has been "a long and often frustrating process" and said that the lingering effects of childhood polio have complicated it.

McConnell's return also restores another available vote for Republicans, who hold a 53-47 Senate majority. The Kentucky Republican is serving the final months of a Senate career that has spanned more than four decades. Skip NavigationMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPolitics & PolicyVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenuKey PointsSen. McConnell said he has assured Senate Majority Leader John Thune that he will "do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me.

What has been reported

McConnell had not cast a Senate vote since June 11 and missed dozens of votes during his absence. His return comes as senators reconvene following a five-week summer recess. He later said the fall briefly knocked him unconscious but that doctors determined he had not suffered a heart attack, stroke or concussion and had not broken any bones. What happens if Warsh waversHassett kept up to $5 million Coinbase stake as Trump reshaped crypto policyTrump's energy holdings have surged as the Iran war moved oil marketsAfter nearly a month in the hospital, McConnell said in July that he had been transferred to a rehabilitation center.

Until Monday, however, no public video or audio of the senator had been released since his hospitalization. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, escalated that pressure in July, calling on McConnell to "provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign. " Beshear suggested McConnell could release a short video or speak with a Kentucky television or radio station and asked Thune to investigate his condition if he failed to demonstrate that he could continue serving. McConnell announced last year that he would not seek an eighth term, setting up his departure from the Senate in January.

What happens next

His tenure has helped reshape the federal judiciary and the modern Republican Party. As majority leader, McConnell blocked consideration of President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016 and later oversaw the confirmation of all three of President Donald Trump's first-term Supreme Court nominees. He later developed pneumonia and spent weeks in rehabilitation. Andy Beshear to call on him to publicly demonstrate that he remained capable of serving or resign. He is not seeking reelection and will leave office in January.

"I'm really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues. He subsequently developed what his office described as a mild case of pneumonia.