Beshear Says McConnell’s Return Shows Why the Senate Is “Broken”

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Kentucky) told the hosts of ABC’s “The View” that he still has concerns about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Kentucky) ability to serve in Congress.

McConnell returned to work at the U.S. Capitol earlier in September, after spending three months out of public view following a fall in his home in June. During that time, the Kentucky senator made some public statements, but never provided audio or video evidence of his recovery, leading to questions about his ability to remain in office for the rest of his term.

When he did return, McConnell was noticeably frail, observers noted. He did speak for a brief time to reporters, but took no questions, and his speech was much slower than usual.

Beshear took notice of McConnell’s condition and said Monday morning he was still worried about McConnell’s health — and whether he should remain in office.

“I still have concerns, and I think anybody who actually watches the video has concerns, both for him and for the position,” Beshear said.

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The Kentucky governor, who joined many lawmakers and observers in demanding McConnell show proof of his recovery during the three months he was gone, also believes the situation showed a larger problem with Congress in general.

“This is what’s broken about the current Senate: they don’t think they work for anybody. I mean, Mitch McConnell was gone for three months, three months away from work, and wouldn’t tell his boss, which are the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Beshear explained.

Beshear also used the opportunity to call for term limits.

“None of us wish [McConnell] ill will,” Beshear insisted, “but we all deserve senators that can actually do their job. And I think it’s fair to say we can now all agree it’s time for term limits for Congress. Yeah, and I’ll throw it out for the Supreme Court, too.”

Some government reformers have maintained that, while well-intentioned, term limits are not the best way to address issues like aging lawmakers or long-term, unpopular incumbents remaining in office, as they would prevent constituents from selecting effective leaders who have been in Washington a long while but are still supported by voters. Experts also agree that term limits would be ineffective at addressing the core reasons why incumbents like McConnell stay in office so long — including issues like gerrymandering and corporate spending in elections.

But on Supreme Court justices facing tenure limits, experts say the matter is different, as those chosen for the role are not elected by the people themselves. According to a recent Marquette University Law School poll, nearly 8 in 10 Americans (79 percent) support fixed terms for Supreme Court justices, while 2 in 10 (21 percent) oppose the idea.

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