Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is 74 years old and was recently rushed to the hospital.
According to reports, Schumer was likely suffering from heat stroke or dehydration.
That can obviously happen to anyone in this weather, but it is far scarier for someone of Schumer’s age, which brings about a challenge we have in Congress today.
We have a real age problem in Congress right now, but I don’t want this to come off as a dig against elderly people, because that is not what this is about.
This is about a demanding job that requires extensive travel, long hours, and often weeks without a day off. It’s a young man’s game, and while there are exceptions to the rule, the reality is that the majority of Congress, even the younger members, are out of shape or overweight, which is far more serious when you are older.
Today's Congress has 170 members who are 70 years or older, with 86 of them being in the House and 33 in the Senate.
Among those, there are 19 who are in the 80s, with 14 of those in the House, and five in the Senate, as well as one in his 90s, Senator Grassley (R-IA).
This year, Democrats, in particular, have been plagued by members of Congress dying during the session.
The last to go was Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died at the age of 75. Connolly had just been installed in a leadership position over AOC in a direct rebuke against the Squad and its socialist agenda.
Prior to his death, Connolly had stated, "When I announced my diagnosis six months ago, I promised transparency. After grueling treatments, we've learned that the cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned. I'll do everything possible to continue to represent you and thank you for your grace."
In addition to Connolly, two other Democrats passed away during the term, adding to the GOP’s slim margin, which helped Trump significantly after Trump tapped Congress for his administration.
Schumer has seen a nasty heat wave come over New York this week, and it clearly took its toll on the aging Senator.
According to reports, Schumer was working out on a bike at the Senate gym when he got lightheaded and was taken to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” but it only highlights the problem we have with aging members of Congress.
Schumer has been relatively healthy, but that is not the case for many of these aging members, and many of them are running for office again.
This is not their fault, though, as the voters continue to be zombies when going to the voting booth. As voters, we need to start putting people in office who can handle this job and stop mindlessly pulling handles. We also need to elect party leadership that will hold members accountable, and not stick by them simply because they are an incumbent.
