Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said there is no doubt he wants Mitch McConnell to remain Senate minority leader and claimed the Kentucky lawmaker was in “good shape” as they spoke Saturday, despite increasing concerns about his suitability for office, successive incidents occurred.
After Chairman McConnell raised concerns during a press conference on Wednesday, Senator Rounds insists the 81-year-old is still “sharp and smart” and ready for his role.
The 30-second freeze came just over a month after another eerily similar event in which McConnell froze at the podium during a news conference at the Capitol. Both times, reporters asked McConnell about his future and whether he planned to run for re-election in 2026.
During a phone call Saturday, McConnell told Rounds that he was expecting dizzy spells after his concussion in March – and said it was a coincidence that the only two episodes he had were caught on camera.
Sen. Mike Rounds said Senate leader Mitch McConnell knew he could experience lightheadedness after his concussion – and insists the two moments he froze on camera were the only two incidents since the fall in March were
Here’s how Mitch McConnell explained his freeze on Sen. Mike Rounds: “It happened twice.” He said, “It’s just me doing it in front of reporters.”
Does that sound serious to you? pic.twitter.com/96Zv3uamJq
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 3, 2023
Leader McConnell froze during a news conference Wednesday in Kentucky after another incident in late July. This came after McConnell fell and suffered a concussion in March
Meanwhile, presidential candidate Nikki Haley is proposing that all members of Congress, both incumbent and new, must provide medical certificates certifying their mental capacity — just as lawmakers must submit financial disclosures to run for office.
The panel relayed to CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday morning what McConnell had told them during their Saturday call.
He said the leader told him, “I had this concussion.” They warned me that I would be dizzy in the future and that I needed to be aware of it. It happened twice. “It just so happens that I do it in front of reporters.”
Rounds added that McConnell “felt good” yesterday.
“He said he had to pay attention to his fluid levels. “Dr. “Monahan, who is also my doctor there in the Senate, is sharp,” the South Dakota Republican said. “And when he says Mitch is ready to go, then Mitch is ready to go.”
After the latest freeze, reports emerged that Republican senators are planning an emergency session when they return to session to discuss the future of party leadership.
At least a dozen offices told last week that they had not heard of any plans for such a meeting.
“Mitch will come back before us and discuss it with the entire team,” Rounds told CNN. “He was busy. He worked in his own state. But he also handles the fundraising required of a leader. And I think that was a big task for him during this break.”
He added: “Mitch is sharp and he’s smart. “He understands what needs to be done. I’ll let him decide how he wants to discuss this with the American public. But I have no doubt that he is fully capable of continuing at this stage of the game.”
Nikki Haley, 51, believes it is important to assess the mental competency of older lawmakers, but indicated Sunday that she would be open to making it mandatory for all members of Congress so that there is no discrimination in scrutiny.
The proposal comes just days after McConnell’s latest freeze — and months after Haley already proposed an age limit of 75 for those who can run for president.
“I think there should be mental capacity testing,” Haley told NBC’s Face the Nation on Sunday morning, adding that it should be done even if it is “for the entire Congress.”
Presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Sunday that there should be mental competency tests for everyone running for Congress – both incumbents and newcomers
“I think there should be mental competency tests” @NikkiHaley says, even if it is “for the entire Congress.”
“These are basic tests…Tell us where you were born, name four words that start with the same letter, and how many grandchildren do you have?” pic.twitter.com/1uTQIuWlSC
– Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 3, 2023
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze during a news conference Wednesday in Kentucky, months after suffering a concussion. The 30-second freeze is the second on-camera freeze in a month
“These are basic tests. These are: Tell us where you were born, name four words that start with the same letter. How many grandchildren do you have? She assured that the exams would be easy and would ensure mental fitness for the post.
“When a candidate runs for office, whether incumbent or newcomer, they must disclose their finances,” Haley added. “They should also provide a doctor’s certificate of mental capacity. “I think we need that.”
Haley was criticized by the Trump world for her age limit of 75, claiming that she was specifically targeting the ex-president with this age limit. But on Sunday she said some standard needs to be put in place, and that could be the case even at age 50.
Haley’s proposals come as the number of top executives in the top ranks of the federal government continues to rise.
At 80, President Joe Biden is the oldest person ever elected president. Donald Trump is 77 years old, meaning that if Biden or Trump wins in 2024, they will set another record for the oldest president ever.
The Senate is led by 81-year-old Minority Leader and 72-year-old Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Until the 2022 midterm elections, the House of Representatives was led by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now 83 years old.
McConnell’s age and health fears have drawn new attention after he froze for 30 seconds during a news conference in Kentucky on Wednesday. It came just a month after an eerily similar incident while speaking to reporters at the Capitol in late July. Colleagues helped lead him away from the podium and back to his office.
Both freezes came just months after McConnell’s ouster at the Washington DC Waldorf Astoria, the former Trump Hotel. He suffered a concussion and broken ribs. It took six weeks for him to recover.
The latest episode is reminiscent of an eerily similar incident just weeks ago, when McConnell froze in the middle of the press conference while speaking directly to the Senate floor and needed help from other lawmakers to get him back to his office
McConnell suffered a concussion and broken ribs when he tripped and hit his head at the Waldorf Astoria earlier this year and was hospitalized for a week of treatment
Concern is also growing over the health of 90-year-old Senator Dianne Feinstein, who reportedly had her advisers remind her of what she voted for in the Senate
The Capitol doctor Dr. Brian Monahan immediately released McConnell from normal work the day after the latest freeze.
The doctor said it was normal to feel lightheaded when recovering from a concussion. He also said the episode could have been due to dehydration.
Asked whether McConnell would continue to serve in Senate leadership, Rounds said, “Oh yeah, no question.”
“There are a lot of people out there who would like to see him go, but that’s because he’s a very capable leader,” he told CNN’s Dana Bash. “And he’s one of those guys who, if you could remove him from the leadership role in advance, you might end up in a better position if you were a competitor to him.”
“But on the Republican side, we all understand that he’s good,” Rounds emphasized. “He is good for our party.” He sees the long road ahead. He looks far into the future. And when we all sit back, he’s the guy who’ll take the spears and arrows so we don’t have to do that.’
McConnell’s freeze comes as 90-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) also faces intense criticism over her ongoing health problems and advanced age.
Voters are also concerned about President Biden’s age: A new poll last week found that 77 percent of Americans believe he is too old to serve another four-year term.
“We can’t stand watching Dianne Feinstein sit there and have an adviser tell her how to vote,” Haley told NBC’s Robert Costa. “We can’t worry about Mitch McConnell staying at the podium.” “We can’t let Joe Biden forget where he is.”
“Our enemies are watching all this,” she added. “And every time there is an instance like this, America is less safe because our enemies think we are out of control — and that has to stop.”