WASHINGTON, July 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, said Monday that he would not return to the Senate this week as lawmakers gear up for their August recess, extending his medical leave that has lasted for over a month.
In a press release from his office, the longtime Republican Senator said he would also miss Saturday's Fancy Farm picnic in Kentucky state, an annual political event he has attended for more than four decades.
"I'm still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors' orders," McConnell said in the release.
McConnell has been hospitalized for six weeks after suffering a fall at his home in Washington, D.C. last month.
He has "not yet medically cleared" to leave the treatment facility, according to a statement from the office of the attending physician of Congress.
According to the New York Times, McConnell's extended absence has complicated Republican efforts in the Senate, where the party holds a narrow majority, particularly on the Appropriations Committee, where his vote is important for advancing spending bills.
McConnell served as the Senate Republican leader from 2007 to 2024, the longest tenure in the chamber's history. He stepped down from the leadership position at the end of 2024, and John Thune succeeded him as party leader in the Senate.
McConnell has long been regarded as one of the Republican Party's most influential strategists. During U.S. President Donald Trump's first term, he worked closely with the administration to secure passage of the sweeping 1.5 trillion U.S. dollar tax overhaul in 2017.
His influence within the Senate Republican conference has diminished in recent years as the party has become increasingly aligned with Trump, whose relationship with McConnell has remained strained. ■
