Sen. Mark Kirk's office said Monday the Republican will continue to work from his home in Illinois as he continues to recover from his January stroke.
The U.S. Congress returned to work Monday after a five-week recess.
Kirk was last seen, via video, during the Republican National Convention in Tampa last month.
"I really wish I could be with you today," Kirk said, calling this "one of the most important elections we've ever had."
Kirk has been recovering at home since May, when he made public another video giving a glimpse into the damage the stroke did to his body.
Kirk, 52, checked himself into Lake Forest Hospital on Jan. 21. Doctors discovered a carotid artery dissection in the right side of his neck, and he was transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Further tests showed Kirk had suffered an ischemic stroke and he underwent surgery to relieve swelling around his brain.
Another Illinois lawmaker, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., is back in Washington after a treatment at the Mayo Clinic, but it's unknown when he'll go back to work.
