Sen. Mitch McConnell, 84, Will Not Return to Work This Week After Hospitalization 9 Days Ago

Janey WetzelTue, June 23, 2026 at 4:14 PM UTC

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Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell in a wheelchair on April 30, 2026 -

Mitch McConnell's spokesperson confirmed he will not vote this week following his hospitalization

The 84-year-old Kentucky senator was initially hospitalized on June 14

McConnell has faced multiple health issues in recent years, including falls, a concussion and an eight-day hospitalization in February

Following his recent hospitalization, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell will continue to sit out from his legislative duties this week.

"Senator McConnell is still working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery," McConnell's spokesperson, Stephanie Penn, said in a statement on Monday, June 22. "However, he will not be voting this week."

PEOPLE asked for clarification on whether McConnell remains in the hospital or has since been discharged, but did not receive confirmation.

Penn previously shared that the former Senate Republican leader was hospitalizedon June 14.

"Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care," she said at the time. The senator's office has not elaborated on what he was hospitalized for.

This hospitalization mirrors a medical stay earlier this year. In February, a spokesperson confirmed McConnell was admitted after experiencing "flu-like symptoms." He was admitted on the evening of Feb. 2 and by Feb. 11, had transitioned to recovering from home.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell in a wheelchair at the Capitol on April 13, 2026

McConnell has faced a series of other health issues in recent years.

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In October 2025, a volunteer from the climate-focused Sunrise Movement approached the 83-year-old senator in a basement hallway of the Russell Senate Office Building. A video capturing the encounter shows the activist walking alongside McConnell, asking if he supported ICE "taking working people off the streets and kidnapping them" following recent controversial immigration raids.

During the confrontation, McConnell lost his balance and fell to the ground, though he was quickly helped up by his detail and was uninjured.

According to multiple reports, he also fell in March 2023 — sustaining a concussion and a minor rib fracture — and experienced another fall in February 2025.

Concerns for the Kentucky senator's health can be traced back to 2019, when he fractured his shoulder after falling at his Louisville home.

"This morning, Leader McConnell tripped at home on his outside patio and suffered a fractured shoulder. He has been treated, released, and is working from home in Louisville," a spokesperson said in a statement at the time, according to NBC News.

McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in U.S. Senate history, announced in February 2024 that he would step down from his leadership position. His decision followed growing pressure from several conference members who demanded a younger, more Trump-aligned leader.

As of now, he plans to remain in Congress through the remainder of his term, which expires in January 2027.

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