We need mandatory mental health exams for Congress9 minute read

In 2018 there were 18 Senators over the age of 65 that were up for re-election. That’s more than half of the total incumbents that ran that year. In the coming 2020 election 21 of the Senators up for re-election are over the age of 65.

Currently, the average age of members in the House of Representatives is almost 60 years old. And the average age of the Senate is over 60.

• According to the University of Nevada Schools of Medicine, Alzheimer’s disease normally starts at 65 years of age. After the age of 85 the risk doubles.

• According to WebMD, early-onset dementia usually starts at the age of 50. The Alzheimer’s Association reports the likelihood of developing dementia doubles every 5-years after the age of 65.

Although the average age really isn’t that old for Congress as a whole. The leaders in both the House and Senate are very old.

Watch Nancy Pelosi Stutter Slur and Suffer Memory Lapses In Press Conference

On May 23rd 2019 Nancy Pelosi doubled down on Trump calling for his staff to stage an intervention cause he objects to investigated over and over again. She also stutters, slurs her words, and forgets questions she is asked.

Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House, D – 79 years old – Elected In 1987

More and more we see Pelosi stumbling on words and even getting very confused mid-sentence.

Shortly after Donald Trump got elected, Pelosi referred to him as “President Bush” numerous times and had to be corrected.

She not only leads the Democrats in the House of Representatives but is literally the highest ranking female in the country.

Open Mic Picks Up Grassley Explaining Vote To Feinstein

Sen. Dianne Feinstein appeared to be confused following Friday’s vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Dianne Feinstein

California Senator, D – 86 years old – Elected In 1992

She currently serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the US Senate.

She was just re-elected in 2018. So she won’t be up for re-election until 2024. She will be over 90 years old when her current term is over.

Chuck Grassley

Iowa Senator, R – 85 years old – Elected in 1980

Up until last year, he served as the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Grassley will be 89 at the end of his current term.

Richard Shelby

Alabama Senator, R – 85 years old – Elected in 1986.

Shelby was re-elected in 2016, he will be 88 when his current term ends.

Jim Inhofe

Oklahoma Senator – 84 years old – Elected in 1994

Inhofe will be weeks away from being 85 when his term ends in 2020. It looks like he may be running for re-election as well.

Pat Roberts

Kansas Senator – 83 years old – Elected In 1997

Roberts will be 84 when his term ends in 2020. He is not seeking re-election.

I can go on and on naming members of Congress that are over 60 years old. But you get the idea. In some states, seniors over a certain age must retake parts of or even in some cases the entire driving test over again to renew their license. Yet, we have nothing like that for people passing law in our government?

John McCain – who passed away last year – was 81 years old and literally served up until weeks before his death with brain cancer. That alone is absolutely ridiculous. If he was still alive he wouldn’t have been up for re-election until 2022. God rest his sole, but to be able to serve while you’ve been not only diagnosed with brain cancer but also had surgery is the exact reason by we need to make mandatory mental health checks every 4 years for everyone in Congress. Especially since there is no term limits in Congress.

Some of these members have served for almost 40 years. While members of the House are re-elected every two years, the term length for Senators is 6 years. When someone is already high up in age, each adding year could be the difference between clarity and a deteriorating mental capacity. We as citizens of the United States deserve to have complete disclosure and assurance that the people passing, creating bills as well as laws are 100% competent and are of sound mind. I believe that a mandatory psychological well being test be performed every four years would ensure this. If the person is found to be showing signs of mental instability, they should be removed from office and provided assistance.