Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after three-month absence

US Senator Mitch McConnell has returned to Congress for the first time since he was admitted to hospital after a fall three months ago.

"I'm really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues," said the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican, before casting a vote on a judicial nomination.

McConnell's long absence provoked rampant speculation about his health, and demands from Democrats for transparency.

The longest serving party leader in Senate history, he has been in the Senate for 41 years.

"My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven't made it any easier," McConnell said on Monday.

"I'm still not quite back to 100%," he continued, adding that "I will do my best to be present for tough votes".

"I'm glad to get back to more of business as usual on their [fellow Kentuckians'] behalf this month," his statement concluded.

Video of the senator leaving his home in the US capital showed him being taken in a wheelchair into a vehicle.

He appeared a short time later on the Senate floor, where he was greeted by several senators.

McConnell last voted on 11 June. As questions mounted over his whereabouts, his office said a month later that he had fallen at home on 14 June and was treated in hospital for mild pneumonia.

Concerns for the Senate veteran's health have swirled in recent years.

He suffered minor injuries after a fall in 2024. A year earlier he had another fall, leading to a concussion and a hospital stay.

Also in 2023, McConnell seemed to stare into space while speaking to reporters, raising questions about his mental acuity.

His return on Monday coincided with the first day of the Senate reconvening after a five-week break.

Senators are embarking on a final stretch of legislative work before November's midterm elections, which could reshape the balance of power in Congress.

McConnell, whose term expires in January, is not seeking re-election.

Questions swirl about top US Republican McConnell's weeks-long hospital stay - here's what we know

Mitch McConnell returns home weeks after hospital admission sparked health speculation

Mitch McConnell announces he will not run for re-election