Politico took a deep dive at the behind-the-scenes goings-on of Congress, and there were some definite interesting tidbits.
Lots of great stuff in this big group project on Congress:
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) March 7, 2025
👀👀 Rep. Himes: "“There’s no question that somewhere between six and a dozen of my colleagues are at a point where they’re … I think they don’t have the faculties to do their job.”https://t.co/H0erDoeZuO pic.twitter.com/o2WO3kXka9
or on a lighter note, how members get by — "massive amounts of caffeine", thrift shopping, and more pic.twitter.com/IKsR8Vtgvb
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) March 7, 2025
From Politico:
To get an inside look at what it’s like to serve on Capitol Hill — after years of gridlock, government shutdowns and now another Donald Trump stampede through Washington — we sat down with 25 lawmakers who were ready to dish.
We talked about what they hate and love about Congress, why it’s broken and how to fix it (one suggestion: bring back the powdered wigs). They also told us what would really shock the public if they knew the truth about life as a lawmaker (it’s what’s for dinner).
We had delicate conversations about aging lawmakers’ increasingly public deterioration (one member said he has up to a dozen colleagues who aren’t up to the job) and whether people are actually showing up drunk on the floor (it’s not a “no”), as well as the survival mechanisms that get them through a grueling day.
Hrm.
Me Rosa DeLauro
— Nina Heller (@_ninaheller) March 7, 2025
🤝
Stress shopping to deal with Congress https://t.co/mMij8CmeuH pic.twitter.com/QPFazAxrFA
Half the women in America can relate.
There are a lot of interesting quotes here but something that stuck out to me on how to improve the institution is something I’ve mentioned before ad nauseam: you need to get TV cameras out of committee hearings. They’ve functionally destroyed what are the workhorses of Congress https://t.co/g0Qydgq6qa
— Blake Allen (@Blake_Allen13) March 7, 2025
The cameras are great for transparency but not so great for all the Congress critters who live to showboat.
Sen. Cramer: “I’ve watched some of these members and I think, ‘Why? Why do you want to be here?’ I just turned 64. If I die in the Senate, it’ll be because a bus hit me on Constitution Avenue.” https://t.co/DEZVKlqfMK
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) March 7, 2025
That should be the question voters are asking themselves about the fossils who keep running.
Rep. Himes: “There’s no question that between six and a dozen of my colleagues are at a point where… I think they don’t have the faculties to do their job.”
— Bologna Fish, M.D. (@BolognaFishMD) March 7, 2025
we need to start putting politicians in prison. guilty until proven innocent. where’s the retribution i voted for? https://t.co/C0jvIaSef4
The number is way higher than that.
Lots of great stuff in this big group project on Congress:
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) March 7, 2025
👀👀 Rep. Himes: "“There’s no question that somewhere between six and a dozen of my colleagues are at a point where they’re … I think they don’t have the faculties to do their job.”https://t.co/H0erDoeZuO pic.twitter.com/o2WO3kXka9
Oh, there are young and old who fall into that category.
Name their names! Don't be afraid! https://t.co/C84rF5tBkZ
— Rotimi Adeoye (@_rotimia) March 7, 2025
The public could probably guess.
If lawmakers can’t retire when they’re no longer fit for the job, then who is actually running the country?
— FluidIntelligence (@FluidThinkers) March 7, 2025
The issue isn’t just age—it’s the lack of a system to ensure competence in leadership. Term limits? Cognitive tests? Or do we just wait for the inevitable?
There needs to be meaningful change after what happened with Biden.
That much is certain.
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