WASHINGTON – Six weeks after he was first hospitalized for a fall and pneumonia, Sen. Mitch McConnell's doctors still have not medically cleared him to return to work or leave a rehabilitation facility, the Capitol physician's office said.

Since June, the Kentucky Republican's health has been a source of widespread speculation and interest. He's missed 38 roll call votes in the Senate, including on key measures such as the annual defense policy bill and ending the Iran war, as well as high-profile confirmation hearings for critical Trump nominees like Todd Blanche, who's awaiting a vote to become the next attorney general.

All summer, his office has provided only limited updates on his condition. But in a new July 27 statement, McConnell, 84, said he was still undergoing "intense physical therapy," and he wouldn't be able to travel to western Kentucky for the annual Fancy Farm picnic, a marquee political event in the state.

"As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I'm looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon," he said.

The Office of the Attending Physician, which provides medical services and guidance to members of Congress, said the lifelong effects of McConnell's bout with childhood polio continue to be a "significant factor in his mobility." Doctors visit with him every day.

"Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls," the office said in a statement.

U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chair Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on May 19, 2026.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is helped up steps as he enters the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Feb. 2, 2026. McConnell checked himself into a hospital on Monday, Feb. 2, "after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend," a spokesperson for the Kentucky Republican told USA TODAY. McConnell, 83, the seven-term Senator from Kentucky who served 18 years as the Republican leader, announced last year that he will not seek reelection and will retire after his current term.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 6, 2024 in Washington, DC. McConnell, who has served as a Senator from Kentucky since 1985 and is the longest serving senator in his state's history, spoke about the Republican Party taking the Senate majority and his plans for the upcoming congress.

Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate Mitch McConnell speaks during the 60th annual Kentucky State Fair Ham Auction Thursday morning, Aug. 22, 2024.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) arrives for a news conference following a Senate Republican party policy luncheon on Capitol Hill on Sept. 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republican Senate leadership spoke to reporters on a range of topics including a defense appropriations bill, In vitro fertilization (IVF) and Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' policies on the U.S. border and inflation.

U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chair Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on May 19, 2026.

McConnell also released a new photo, dated July 26, of himself alongside his wife, Elaine Chao. While his Senate colleagues say they've talked to him several times by phone over the course of his prolonged absence, the former majority leader hasn't spoken himself publicly since his departure. He hasn't given any external interviews, either.

His office did not provide a tentative date for when he could be expected back at work in the Senate, which is scheduled to depart for a monthlong recess in two weeks on Aug. 7.

Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mitch McConnell's office releases new photo of senator amid health questions