Sen. Mitch McConnell's extended absence has thrown a number of the Senate's top priorities into limbo. McConnell has not voted since he was hospitalized following a fall on June 14, and it's still unclear when the Kentucky Republican will return to the upper chamber. His absence has complicated the math for leadership on several key votes as Republicans continue to grapple with a slim majority and only 10 legislative weeks before the end of the year. "We're at 52" Republican votes, Majority Leader John Thune told NOTUS, versus the 53 seats the party holds in the Senate. "This is the reality."