Most of us have fond memories of our grandparents. My paternal grandmother was a country girl at heart and a staunch Pentecostal woman. Her three favorite things were church, sewing, and gardening, most likely in that order. And I knew she was crazy about her grandchildren. She died at age 92 and didn’t begin to have noticeable cognitive issues until her eighties. It will eventually happen to all of us, though we will all experience old age differently. Perhaps it is our last big question mark in life. Some of us, as we get older, look forward to retirement. Not having to go to a job, maybe pursuing a hobby that we have never had time for, and spending time with family. Then there are those that decide to keep going past the time most folks hang it up. The best place to find those people is in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, as he spoke to reporters, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared to freeze in mid-sentence and stared blankly at those gathered. Immediate concern was obvious not just among McConnell’s fellow senators but everyone at the press conference. Sen. Joni Ernst was heard asking, “Are you good, Mitch?” Senate GOP Conference Chair Sen. John Barrasso, who is also a physician, asked, “Anything else you want to say, or should we just go back to your office?” McConnell shook his head no and was assisted away by one of his aides. McConnell came back later to the microphone and stated, “I’m fine,” and that he had “felt light-headed and stepped away for a moment.”
Mitch McConnell inexplicably freezes during press conference, is quickly escorted away
pic.twitter.com/w4jnw8NtdU— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) July 26, 2023
We all wish Sen. McConnell the best, but the state of our aging leadership in Washington is a hot topic. One look at President Joe Biden, and it is easy to see why. While it has been said that Joe Biden has never been an articulate man, his string of bizarre misstatements and wandering off stages has become an almost daily occurrence. A quick list of the Washington gerontocracy should also give one pause. In addition to 80-year-old Joe Biden and McConnell at 81, there is Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at 72, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-NY) at 83, Rep. Jim Clyburn at 83, and topping off the Democrats is California Senator Dianne Feinstein at age 90. But it is not a problem exclusive to Democrats. In addition to McConnell, Sen. Chuck Grassley is 89, and a fact that Republicans, in all fairness, cannot ignore: Donald Trump is 77.
It is hard for all of us to admit that we are aging, but what is it about our elderly lawmakers who want to make prying the baton from their bony fingers and pass it on to the next generation so hard? We get it – having power is fun. Is it simply a reluctance to give up a powerful position? Is it ego? Or something more? Do senior citizen members of Congress, because of being well-established, long-time incumbents, tend to bring more money to their party? Possibly. But when a 90-year-old Feinstein has to be told to vote and how to vote, the question of term limits comes into full view.
The average age of Congress overall is 58, three years younger than the previous Congress. The average age of House members is even younger at 57, but those that have been there the longest and, apparently, can’t seem to tear themselves away are Democrats. The average age for Senators is 64. The other problem, of course, is that aging members of Congress would be the ones voting on term limits for themselves. It is probably safe to say that passage of such measures might be difficult.
As stated earlier, we all experience old age in different ways. Grassley appears maybe a bit slow physically but mentally does seem to have all of his faculties about him. Love him or hate him, Sen. Bernie Sanders, at 81, is mentally sharp and does not seem to have any problems getting around. And maybe the best example of age being just a number, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who at 71, while the Senate is on recess, should schedule his comedy tour – and looks as though he could weather the rigors of it just fine.
90 Year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein is told to “just say aye” at vote
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) July 27, 2023
The Founding Fathers never intended a stint in Congress to be a lifelong endeavor. The idea was to serve a term, maybe two, and then you would go home, live under the laws you had passed for everyone else, and give someone else a turn. Maybe before a vote on term limits, there should be a mandatory reading of and quiz on the Constitution. Although lawmakers not knowing when to quit might be the simplest of problems that would solve.
The thing that should unify us in politics, maybe the ONLY thing, is term limits for aging people in Congress.
At some pt you aren’t helping the party, your country, or anyone else. You’re just hanging on. 🤦🏼
— Mark Lericos (@MarkLericos) July 27, 2023
