He continued: "My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven't made it any easier. I'm still not quite back to 100%, but I've assured Leader Thune that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me." [...] But the fall followed a series of medical incidents for the 84-year-old former Senate majority leader. In 2023, McConnell froze while speaking to reporters and appeared unable to speak for nearly 30 seconds. He has also suffered a series of falls, including one that resulted in a concussion and nearly six-week hospital stay.

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For Mitch McConnell and Congress, health transparency is a choice, not a requirement [...] McConnell last cast a vote on June 14. He spent weeks in recovery before explaining what had happened, finally breaking his silence in July with a statement explaining that he was "briefly unconscious" around the time he was first taken to the hospital. At the time, he said he had not broken any bones, nor had he suffered a concussion, had a heart attack or stroke, or any tumors or hemorrhages.