This comment is without regard to party. About a week ago I watched on television Sen. Robert Byrd, WV chair the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Sad. Watching a 91 year old Senator struggle with text obviously written for him by staff. I am old myself, 78. I enjoy the fact that I have been blessed with a keen mind to this date. Yet, I am mindful that my present state will erode over more years.
The Catholic Church has a rule that clerics in leadership must submit their resignations at age 75. Beyond that, they serve at the pleasure of the Pope.
There should be some mechanism that would require the Chairpersons of any congressional committee be subject to a four year limitation of serving as chairman or chairwoman, and be less than 71 years of age at the time of election to head any committee.
What is evident to me over time is that the State of West Virginia is represented in congress by staff. That’s not representative government.
I see this issue as one of the most important to be solved because it masks the underlying problem which is a Congress that has grown “superior to the people.” Congress belongs to all the people. Yes, if West Virginia wants to continue voting in Sen. Byrd, so be it. As an aside though, they do because he is number one in bringing home the “pork.”
If Congress belongs to the people, then it is a given that Congressional committees belong to the people. The Appropriations Committee is one of the most important committees in Congress. The fact that the Senate makes its own rules is within reason, PROVIDED, the rules are reasonable in the eyes of the people, NOT the eyes of senate leaders.
Is a religious cleric any less holy beyond the age of 75? I think not. Probably more so. But the wisdom of limiting a cleric beyond some age in matters of administrative and operational leadership is valid, in my opinion. Sen. Bryd can sit in the Senate and cast his vote for West Virginia until he is 105 years old. But, operating as a Congressional leader for all the people is something different.
Where the rub is in all this, comes from use of staff. Any person growing older becomes slowly attached to a helpmate. The sibling, “Mary,” begins to take “Mama” to the grocery store as “Mama” grows older. At some point, “Mary” tells “Mama,” “Why don’t we go to my store? It’s closer.” “Mama,” says, “Absolutely not. If you will not take me where I want to go, I’ll find someone else to drive me.”
But “Mama” reaches a point in age where her attitude changes. “Mama” is willing to be taken to any grocery store by “Mary” because “Mary” has won out, and “Mama” no longer resists.
At the moment that any Congressional staff becomes superior in importance to a legislator, the people, all the people, have lost representation of that legislator. The legislator becomes a puppet. We have in the instant case, in my opinion, one of the most important Senate committees in Congress indirectly chaired by staff. Sen. Bryd is a puppet.
The rules of the Senate belong to the people because the rules are there to conduct the business of the people. We may joke that Congress is a “club.” But, I agree. It is a club that needs to be broken up and reorganized so that it represents ALL THE PEOPLE.