Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after months-long absence

The 84-year-old said he was prepared to cast his first vote after rampant speculation about his health

Mitch McConnell, the former Republican Senate majority leader, returned to the Capitol on Monday and cast his first vote after a months‑long absence that fueled rampant speculation about his health.

The 84-year-old senator has been away from the Senate since mid-June, following what his office said was a fall that left him hospitalized. He was discharged from a rehabilitation center last month.