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On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered Americans a worrying reminder that our elected leaders are among the oldest in the world. McConnell, R-Ky., had just started his regular news briefing when the 81-year-old suddenly fell silent and appeared unable to speak.
McConnell stood behind his podium in silence for nearly 20 seconds. It is very uncomfortable to watch. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a physician, approached McConnell and stiffly led him away from the podium by the arm. (McConnell eventually returned to the podium to answer questions).
The health of our elected leaders is more than a campaign talking point.
While we can’t know the medical details of McConnell’s frightening incident, it’s a reminder that the health of our elected leaders is more than a campaign talking point. It’s also the backbone of effective public service. Our aging lawmakers should consider that carefully as they think about how best to serve the American people.
Republicans including McConnell have spent the entirety of President Joe Biden’s first term casting doubts about Biden’s health and mental fitness for the nation’s most demanding job. Right-wing media networks from Fox News to Newsmax have dedicated countless hours to speculating about Biden’s stumbles and stutters. Faced with McConnell’s very public incident, those same networks are now loath to ask questions about his condition.
This isn’t the first time McConnell has faced a medical scare. Back in March, McConnell spent several weeks recovering from a concussion and rib fracture. But compared to his March fall, McConnell has been unusually cagey about what caused his sudden silence, declining to go into any specifics about the incident with reporters.
The GOP’s constant stream of Biden health conspiracy theories has polarized what should be a nonpolitical discussion about America’s aging leaders — and their ability to effectively serve the people who elected them. While stories of Biden’s imminent mental decline are mainly restricted to the conspiracy mills of Twitter and right-wing broadcasters, Washington is full of real examples of aging officials struggling to meet the demands of the job.
At 90 years old, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was, until McConnell’s very public incident Wednesday, perhaps the most visible (or invisible) example of decline. Feinstein already faced growing concerns about her health even before she took months off the job to deal with a prolonged illness earlier this year. Speculation over her future eventually became so heated that Feinstein was forced to return to Washington, though in a much-reduced capacity. Feinstein at times seems to not recall conversations, and it remains an open secret that her unelected staff handles many of the duties that should ultimately be hers.
Instead of having a real discussion about the issue of our legislative gerontocracy, Republicans have chosen to weaponize the issue.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, 89, is doing only marginally better. He’ll be 95 by the end of his term, and Grassley, R-Iowa, has made a point to showcase physical fitness in past campaign ads. But Grassley can’t outrun the realities of time, and his committee work has grown increasingly unfocused. Aides often need to redirect Grassley to remain on topic, as the Iowan has a tendency to wander off on a tangent — a trait shared by Biden.
In an era where “both sides” has become a deservedly maligned phrase, it’s clear both parties are prioritizing the short-term calculus of political power over providing the best possible representation to the American people. Democrats including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York fervently defended Feinstein’s right to serve, even implying that calls for her retirement were sexist. Conversations about McConnell’s or Grassley’s advancing age quickly become discussions about political mathematics instead of competence. No one seems especially concerned about the 39 million Californians or 4.5 million Kentuckians who pay the price for ineffective or incapable leadership.
Instead of having a real discussion about the issue of our legislative gerontocracy, Republicans have chosen to weaponize the issue in an effort to deny Biden a second term. That short-sighted approach weakens public trust in government — as it should. At minimum, political parties should serve the interests of the people. Instead, they have chosen to use the Senate’s tradition of deference to senior members as a shield to avoid acknowledging their physical declines.
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