What’s Happening:
Calls are mounting for a change to the Constitution that would place restrictions on those who want to serve. Americans want to know that their elected officials can handle the job as long as they’re in office.
What has happened in recent years is that many congressional representatives have displayed less than stellar abilities to handle the work of higher offices. Recent physical and health issues surrounding senior members of Congress and the president have shown that change may be necessary.
A freshman House Republican wants Congress to make changes that would pave the way for “new blood” on Capitol Hill. He believes it’s high time for long-term politicians to move on.
From Fox News:
Rep. John James, R-Mich., introduced a resolution this week aimed at pushing lawmakers to amend the Constitution and establish an upper age limit for eligibility to be president, vice president or a member of Congress.
James believes that age 75 or older is the high mark for elected officials. He wants the age limit applied to stop anyone from running for these key offices “if at any time during the term the person will be 75 years of age or older,” according to his proposed bill.
Examples of older politicians struggling to fulfill their duties as they age has been a prominent topic even before Joe Biden famously stumbled and fell while walking up the stairs of Air Force One. Other public examples of older politicians include Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Both have had instances where their health caused them to struggle before the public.
“You can’t watch a video of Feinstein or McConnell or Biden and tell me that everything’s OK,” James said. “It’s not just us saying it, it’s our adversary seeing it, they see that America has lost a step.”
James expressed how the world is not slowing down, as people do, but it’s moving faster all the time. This creates scenarios where enemies move faster, and politicians must be able to keep up with what is happening. Anything less and the world can see aging politicians as a liability where James believes the founders of our country would want our leaders to present strength to the world.
James also questions the pattern of politicians remaining if office for so long that they die in office or “get doggone close.” He doesn’t believe our founders intended for elected officials to spend a lifetime in the legislature and after decades of service being able to walk out as millionaires.
The freshman politician also called for a Constitutional amendment to limit service in Congress to 18 years. Any amendment to the Constitution would likely take years and must be approved by two-thirds of both the House and Senate and ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.
Key Takeaways:
- Freshman congressman calls for constitutional amendments.
- James wants aging members of Congress to leave sooner.
- Health issues of senior politicians spark interest in term limits.
Source: Fox News
