Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, said he will not return to the Senate "quite yet" after a fall and a mild case of pneumonia, issuing his first public statement in weeks. The Kentucky Republican, the longest‑serving Senate party leader, was hospitalized on June 14 after experiencing a brief loss of consciousness following a fall. His office released a photo of him with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and said medical tests found no broken bones, concussion, heart attack, stroke, tumor or hemorrhage. He is now in a rehabilitation center.

McConnell added that he plans to retire at the end of his term in January and intends to complete his remaining work, but his doctors advised him not to resume Senate duties immediately. He referenced his childhood polio and ongoing mobility challenges, saying the fall has complicated his recovery.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, urged greater transparency regarding McConnell’s condition, while a spokesperson for Chao said his health did not require an immediate return. The Chinese government confirmed Chao met Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on June 17.

No date for his return has been announced, and his office has not provided further details about his treatment.