WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to the Senate on Monday, ending an absence of more than 90 days after a June fall and subsequent illness that required hospitalization and weeks of recovery. McConnell, 84, cast his first Senate vote since June 14. He said he was looking forward to returning to the chamber and seeing his colleagues. “My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process,” McConnell said in a statement, adding that the lingering effects of childhood polio had made recovery more difficult. He said he was “still not quite back to 100%,” but had told Senate Majority Leader John Thune that he would try to be present for difficult votes as he continues physical therapy under his doctors’ guidance. McConnell was hospitalized in June after falling and briefly losing consciousness. In July, he said he had been unconscious for a short period around the time he was taken to the hospital. He said doctors found no broken bones or concussion and ruled out a heart attack, stroke, tumors and hemorrhages. The episode was the latest in a series of health incidents involving the longtime Kentucky senator. In 2023, McConnell appeared to freeze while speaking to reporters and was unable to speak for nearly 30 seconds. He has also experienced other falls, including one that caused a concussion and led to a hospital stay of nearly six weeks. McConnell’s extended absence drew public attention in Kentucky and Washington, in part because his staff released few details about his condition. It also fueled unsupported claims about his health. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear repeatedly called on McConnell to provide reassurance about his fitness for office, writing in July that Kentuckians were “just asking you to be honest.” McConnell, a former Senate majority leader who has served more than four decades on Capitol Hill, announced in 2025 that he would not seek another term. He is expected to leave office at the end of the current Congress. His return gives Senate Republicans back a veteran member for close votes, although McConnell’s statement made clear that his attendance may continue to depend on his recovery and medical guidance.