The senators who were absent for years likely did not make the affirmative choice to remain in office once incapacitated, but there is no procedure for removal absent death or failure to show up to be sworn in. Such a procedure might be advisable, or we could conclude that the job isnt important enough to worry about whether any one incumbent is fit to serve. It does happen that one vote can be determinative on a piece of legislation.
You are correct that there is no mechanism, other than the individual’s conscience, to have someone step down gracefully (or non gracefully, for that matter). Certainly there are examples of people who should not be allowed to serve, but have nevertheless been duly elected and resist calls to resign. I don’t have any solutions for that.
I think calls to resign based entirely on a mental illness buy into the notion that persons with a mental illness are dangerous, and that is inaccurate on a wholesale basis. We have to allow people to seek treatment and not be ostracized for that. I think the Fetterman messaging to struggling teens and others with clinical depression is “for heaven’s sake, be quiet, look at all the outrage about this guy”. And that’s not helpful.
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I agree that is not a message we want sent to our youth.
I sincerely doubt many teens are even aware of who Fetterman is. That may be a good thing in this instance, for the reasons you cite.
Today’s media reports the Senator keeps up with his work while hospitalized. I think that is highly unusual in psychiatric cases, but if that is the case, I withdraw my prior objections to his remaining in office. I have never heard of this special situation before but I am glad the hospital was able to accommodate him and that such work does not affect his treatment.
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