Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) prolonged absence from Washington, D.C., has Republicans concerned about legislation they’re struggling to push through Congress given the confines of their narrow majority. 

The party holds only a 53-to-47 majority in the Senate, making every vote critical. McConnell’s absence, since a fall and subsequent hospitalization on June 14, has stalled high-stakes legislative packages, raising scrutiny from GOP colleagues worried about advancing bills before the deadline for the usual appropriations process on Oct. 1. If Congress does not pass the annual appropriations bill by Sept. 30, a partial government shutdown will ensue, a development made increasingly probable by McConnell’s absence, among other complicating factors.