Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez's amendment to establish cognitive fitness standards for members of Congress was voted down in May, but the Washington Democrat is not backing down.
The amendment, part of the fiscal year 2027 Legislative Appropriations Bill, would have directed the Office of Congressional Conduct to define conduct that does not reflect creditably upon the House, specifically addressing a member's ability to perform duties without significant irreversible cognitive impairment.
"In every job I've ever had, there's a simple expectation. You actually have to be able to do the work. Either you can do it or you can't. And Congress shouldn't be any different," Gluesenkamp-Perez said in a video posted on X on Monday.
The push reflects intensifying scrutiny over the age and health of lawmakers. The average age of a member of Congress is 59, according to political analyst Michael McKenna, making it among the oldest legislative bodies in the developed world.
Recent events have sharpened the issue. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican, was absent from the Senate for more than a month earlier this year, prompting a GOP colleague to demand answers and call for term limits. Questions about President Joe Biden's cognitive fitness led Gluesenkamp-Perez and other Democrats to publicly call for him to withdraw from the 2024 race after his June debate performance against President Donald Trump. Late Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California died in office at 90 in 2023 after concerns about her cognitive state emerged in 2022.
Gluesenkamp-Perez has found unlikely allies. Daniel Miressi, a Republican candidate for Connecticut's 4th congressional district, publicly backed her stance. "Mandatory cognitive testing to be a politician? Extremely based. We should've had this sooner," wrote the popular right-wing X account Cremieux.
