The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Donna Robert
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley expressed concern Sunday over the nation’s aging lawmakers, including those in her own party.
She praised Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decades-long tenure but suggested the 81-year-old Kentucky Republican is getting too old for the job after a health scare last week that caused him to freeze mid-sentence for more than 20 seconds at a press conference.
“I think Mitch McConnell did an amazing job when it comes to our judiciary. When we look at the judges, when we look at the Supreme Court, he’s been a great leader,” Ms. Haley said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “But I do think — we’ve got to stop electing people because they look good in the picture or they hold a baby well. We’ve got to stop electing people because we like them and they’ve been there a long time. That’s actually the problem.”
Mr. McConnell suffered a fall earlier this year that gave him a concussion and a fractured rib, but he insisted to reporters after his health episode last week that he is alright. An aide said he was simply “light-headed.”
Ms. Haley, 51, suggested there should be term limits in Congress and a mental fitness test, including for presidential candidates amid criticism about President Biden’s mental acuity and that of other aging lawmakers.
“What I am saying about Mitch McConnell, [Sen.] Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi, all of them: know when to walk away,” said Ms. Haley, a former governor of South Carolina. “We have huge issues that need new solutions. We need new generational leaders. We appreciate your service. We appreciate what you’ve done. But this is why we will fight for term limits. We’ve got to get it done in America.”
