Senator Dianne Feinstein appeared confused during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday. When asked to vote on a proposal, Feinstein began giving a lengthy speech instead of simply saying “aye” or “nay” as requested. The committee chair, Senator Patty Murray, had to repeatedly tell Feinstein “just say aye” and remind her that it was time for a vote, not speeches. After some delay, Feinstein finally cast her vote. A spokesperson said Feinstein was preoccupied and did not realize a vote had been called. The incident raises further concerns about Feinstein’s ability to serve at age 90, as she has made other recent mistakes and often relies on aides.

  • ninjan@lemmy.mildgrim.com
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    1 year ago

    No the retired need representation as well. You can’t right a wrong with another wrong. There needs to be a system in place for health evaluation and once you fail that without having a viable and reasonable path to improvement then you’re ineligible to be reelected. This needs multiple, separate, groups of people involved to reduce the risk of being used as a tool to oust undesirables. I can’t design such a system but I trust that people more well versed in how government works in the nitty gritty could design a suitable, acceptable system.

    • Fushuan [he/him]@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      They need representation, they don’t need to be the whole representation. In fact, I’d say that 55+ people represent them quite well, since they are aiming to retire in the next decade anyways.

      I mean, they can vote, and they are a big sector of the voting base, so even if the politicians are younger, there will be enough of them wanting to please the 67+ sector.

    • StringTheory@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Voting is supposed to do all this for us, it is the check/balance.

      Problem is that more than half of Americans who should vote, don’t vote.

      • sin_free_for_00_days
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        1 year ago

        The problem is the 2-party system and the way they jam their thumbs onto the scale of what are supposed to be fair elections. Also, apathetic and ignorant voters across the spectrum. Not trying to “both sides” the issue, but these ghoulish geriatrics exist on both sides and consistently get re-elected.

    • GentlemanLoser@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      I agree, I’m quick as anyone to joke about senility but to wholesale cut off our elders from decision making goes against all of social history.

      All that knowledge and wisdom is valuable, even if it’s just “we tried this and it didn’t work”

    • Sl00k@programming.dev
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      1 year ago

      You can easily make this argument towards teenagers as well, but they’re obviously illegible. Yet their rights and futures are being stripped away by the elderly.

      There should absolutely be a hard cap and Senators should also be forced to use the services they provide (i.e. stop making millions stock trading) post retirement so it’s guaranteed to be beneficial.

    • Saik0@lemmy.saik0.com
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      1 year ago

      There needs to be a system in place for health evaluation

      The unhealthy need representation as well!

      No the retired need representation as well.

      You should have known that.

    • Smk@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Why do we need a law ? Didnt they, the people, vote for this old person or not ? I mean, if you are going to vote for a dry old person to represent you, that’s on you, unless there’s something I don’t understand about the Senate.