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McConnell returns home after treatment for concussion

McConnell’s aide said that he “will consult with his physical therapists on a return date to the Senate.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) walks to a luncheon in the U.S. Capitol.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell fell on March 8 at a private dinner in D.C. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

By Burgess Everett

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell left inpatient physical therapy on Saturday after suffering a concussion, though it’s still not clear exactly when the GOP leader will return to the Senate.

Because a two-week recess is approaching after next week’s Senate session, the Kentucky Republican will work from home for the next few days, a McConnell aide said. The aide said that McConnell “will consult with his physical therapists on a return date to the Senate.” The Senate will be back in session after that recess the week of April 17.

“I want to sincerely thank everyone for all the kind wishes. I’m happy to say I finished inpatient physical therapy earlier today and I’m glad to be home,” McConnell said in a statement on Saturday. “I’m going to follow the advice of my physical therapists and spend the next few days working for Kentuckians and the Republican Conference from home.”

McConnell fell on March 8 at a private dinner in D.C. and subsequently was hospitalized for a concussion; he also suffered a rib fracture. He was then moved to an inpatient rehab facility several days later. In the meantime, his condition and return has been the subject of immense interest in the Senate. In consultation with McConnell and his staff, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) has been helping run the Senate GOP during McConnnell’s absence.

McConnell’s GOP colleagues, including Thune, reported this week that they’d spoken to him on the phone, and McConnell has been texting with them about congressional business. He’s also been keeping tabs on Senate races, texting with Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) about his possible entry into the West Virginia Senate race.

“I’m in frequent touch with my Senate colleagues and my staff. I look forward to returning in person to the Senate soon,” McConnell, 81, said on Saturday.

The Republican leader also fell and fractured his shoulder in 2019.