Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is 90 years old, is being treated at a hospital in Iowa for an infection, his office announced Tuesday.

  • MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    95
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    11 months ago

    90 years old. Why do people keep voting for fossils?

    I like Bernie Sanders and his views are younger than his age, but he’s 82 now. He needs to pass the torch as well and endorse someone to replace him. He’s done his service.

    • AbidanYre@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      46
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      Because anyone without 50 years of seniority won’t have the pull to get those sweet, sweet, pork barrel projects.

      • chaogomu@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        11 months ago

        Committee assignment is via seniority. So yes, they can add shit to bills, but they can also do so much more.

        For assholes like Grassley, that equates to being able to do a lot of damage.

          • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            11 months ago

            It’s supposed to keep assholes like the tea partyers or guys like Gates and Greene from getting control in committees until they’ve been there more than 1 term. it’s also why they offset congressional terms. So a state won’t likely end up with all its reps getting replaced at the same time.

            I don’t support octogenarian+ politicians (even Bernie needs to pass the torch), but I do support rule makers having to learn how shit works before getting committee power to decide national security or health funding and decisions.

            • acockworkorange@mander.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              11 months ago

              Aren’t we having this backwards though? Executive power should lie in the executive. The legislative should legislate, the judiciary should apply justice, and all 3 should keep each other in check.

              If we want law knowledge for an elected official to be able to exert its democratically elected power, then it should either be a prerequisite for candidature or better yet, a course on congressional process law (eg they take the training after being elected but before taking the position).