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Sen. Mitch McConnell broke his public silence on his health July 12, saying a fall and a subsequent bout of pneumonia have kept him away from the Senate for about a month.In a statement to his constituents, the Kentucky Republican said he was "briefly unconscious" after the fall and was admitted to a hospital, where he underwent extensive testing and treatment. McConnell, 84, said he has since moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center and is continuing physical therapy to "keep regaining my strength.""My doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumors or hemorrhages," McConnell said. "But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital."The senator acknowledged questions from constituents about his absence and attributed some of his health challenges to the lingering effects of childhood polio."Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges," he said. "They haven't exactly gotten easier to manage with age."The update provides the first detailed account of McConnell's condition after weeks of limited public information about his hospitalization. It also follows the July 11 death of South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose office said preliminary examination findings showed he died of an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Graham's death and McConnell's prolonged absence because of health issues have intensified attention on the health of some of the Senate's longest-serving members.McConnell was admitted to hospital after falling at homeThe Office of the Attending Physician said McConnell has experienced several falls this year related to his post-polio condition and was hospitalized June 14 after falling at home and sustaining minor injuries.A medical team conducted a comprehensive evaluation and found "no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor or hemorrhage," according to the physician's office statement, which was shared by McConnell's office. McConnell developed pneumonia early during his hospitalization, but it responded quickly to antibiotic treatment."The remainder of his hospital stay focused on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls," the physician's office said, adding that McConnell has been medically cleared to continue participating fully in an intensive physical therapy program.McConnell was hospitalized on June 14. An initial, publicly available dispatch call indicated someone at the scene was unconscious. Another call, made several minutes later, showed someone was in cardiac arrest. McConnell's office neither confirmed nor denied the calls involved him.Following his hospitalization, McConnell's office said the senator's health continued to improve, and several Senate colleagues, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, said in recent days that they had spoken to McConnell.'I won't be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet'McConnell said his recovery is progressing but that he will not return to the Senate floor immediately."On the advice of my doctors, I won't be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet," he said in the July 12 statement.Despite his absence, McConnell said he has continued working with his staff on legislative matters, constituent services and Senate business. He said he remains in close contact with "Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between."McConnell, who announced earlier this year that he will retire when his term ends in January 2027, said he still intends to complete the remainder of his Senate service."I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do," he added. "I'll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible."Contributing: Zachary Schermele and Christopher Cann, USA TODAY
