Several House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have warned that some of their colleagues are too mentally diminished to be able to do their jobs properly.
Politico interviewed multiple Republicans and Democrats about the fitness of other House lawmakers.
They reportedly said that between six and a dozen of their colleagues have mental faculties that are too diminished to do their jobs effectively.
In addition, some noted that there are lawmakers serving in Congress who lack the intelligence to effectively serve their constituents.
“There’s no question that somewhere between six and a dozen of my colleagues are at a point where they’re … I think they don’t have the faculties to do their job,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) said.
An anonymous Republican added:
“I have a difficult time sometimes telling between the deterioration of members and a handful who are just not very smart.”
One example of lawmakers hanging on too long was Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX).
The longtime GOP representative from Texas missed six months of votes even though she was chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
Granger had planned to retire in 2024.
However, she was found to be living in an assisted living facility in Texas while still a member of the House in December.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said of Granger and others in similar situations:
“I do think that leadership probably has a responsibility, on both sides, when somebody’s getting past their due date, to really encourage them to step aside, like Kay Granger last summer.”
Beyer did acknowledge that the balance of power can make it hard to force the issue at times.
“I knew it was hard for them because the votes were so close, so they had a reason not to do it,” he added.
“But if they had a comfortable minority or majority, it would have been very good to say, ‘Please retire.’”
Then, there was the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Feinstein reportedly had trouble recognizing people and staying on top of crucial votes and issues.
Her colleague Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said:
“In Feinstein’s case, it was just not being able to do the job.
“If you’re missing votes, if you’re not participating in meetings — if someone is really in decline where they’re not being able to do the job, they need to step aside.”
Apparently, it’s hard to let go of power, especially when the machine around you knows that any successor would be starting from the ground up.
Sometimes, it seems more advantageous to prop up a failing member until it becomes obvious that they can’t do the job anymore.
That’s what the Democrat machine thought about former President Joe Biden.
The situation has shined a light on an aging Congress.
With increased scrutiny, there will probably be more retirements in the near future.
It also adds weight to the argument in favor of term limits.
