Nikki Haley, a Republican running for president, said that “the whole Congress” might need to undergo “mental competency tests” as calls increase for a number of the oldest U.S. lawmakers to quit because they seem to be getting worse as they get older.
Haley said this on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” with guest presenter Robert Costa this week. They were talking about the latest time Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) froze up while talking to the media.
“I fully agree with term limits. I think everyone over 75 should take a test to see if they are mentally fit. I’m not trying to be rude when I say that,” Haley said. “This is Mitch McConnell, who has done a lot for his country. Dianne Feinstein, who has had a great career, is one of them. You have Nancy Pelosi, who has been in that position for a long time. How do they know when it’s time to go?”
According to Haley, it was time for a newer generation to step up and advance American interests for coming generations.
“This isn’t just a problem for Republicans or Democrats,” she said. “This is a problem for Congress to solve. And they have to know when it’s time to go. This has to be passed on to the next generation of conservative leaders who aspire to improve our nation.”
Costa brought up the fact that Haley had talked about fitness tests before and asked whether or not there needed to be an age limit for the President and, presumably, for U.S. politicians.
“I believe there should be tests to see if someone is mentally fit. And it doesn’t matter to me if they are only for people over 50.” She stated, “I don’t care if these are for the whole Congress. Bob, these are simple tests. These are, where did you come from? Name four words that all begin with the same letter. How many grandkids do you have? All people need to be able to answer these simple questions. The way to do that is for anyone who wants to run for office, whether they have run before or not, to give their financial reports when they file.”
Author: Scott Dowdy
