What’s ailing our electeds? After a series of health problems led to a prolonged hospitalization, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky remains absent from the Senate and out of the public eye for ten weeks and counting. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Sunday said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that, after days of writing to McConnell’s office, he has heard “absolutely nothing” about his status.
The McConnell episode underscores the ongoing concerns about the secrecy surrounding the health of the nation’s top leaders — one that dovetails with questions in recent years about the fitness and ability of an aging political elite to carry out their duties. Those conversations have sparked a larger one about the need for greater mechanisms of transparency around the health of politicians. Each house of Congress has its own internal rules governing member behavior, but there are no formal laws or mechanisms requiring disclosure of health problems, said Christopher Bosso, a professor of public policy and politics at Northeastern University. “In such instances, Congress historically views member attendance as a matter for constituents, who in theory can vote them out of office at the next opportunity,” Bosso said.
