Opinion / Op-EdGovernment7 min read
Who Decides When a Senator Can No Longer Serve?
Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence exposes how little formal process exists for addressing incapacity in Congress.
Mitch McConnell’s three-month absence exposed a gap Congress has never fully solved: what happens when an elected official may be too ill to serve, but there is no clear process for determining incapacity? Medical privacy matters. So does the public’s right to know whether those making national decisions can still do the job.
By Philip Brown · October 1, 2026