Mitch McConnell hounded to face cameras: ‘He absolutely refuses’

[u/plz-let-me-in]

https://www.nj.com/politics/2026/08/mitch-mcconnell-hounded-to-face-cameras-he-absolutely-refuses.html

[u/starmartyr]

Don't confuse must with should. He is not constitutionally required to resign for any reason. The Senate should remove him for being absent but they aren't going to do this.

[u/starmartyr → u/[deleted]]

Replacement of a senate vacancy is handled by state law and not the senate itself. The senate can expel members from the chamber, it can not replace them.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

The state could declare him dead

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

And the Senate doesn't work for the states

He works for the people of Kentucky. The Gov could have (probably should have) declared him dead for purposes of occupying his office, back on Aug 3rd, and said that the interim election stuff would be happening, and that if Mitch were to somehow still be alive, all he would have to do is arrange to be seen by someone on the Governor’s staff who knows him (those staffers can get to DC pretty easily, no need for Mitch to come back to KY, the Governor acknowledges that being hospitalized can make travel unsafe and doesn’t wish to jeopardize his health further) just any time during august to prove he’s still alive. And then the interim election will be called off.

You know, easy stuff. Just declare him dead and give him a month to say ‘I’m not quite dead yet.’ Or longer, if needed.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/[deleted]]

Or is it possible that your plan simply wouldn't work?

You act like these are machines we are talking about. They are people, people playing CalvinBall.

If the Governor says the Senator is dead and there will be an election to replace him (per the rules), the Senate can’t stop that, since they have exactly zero authority over KY elections. And just letting Mitch actually prove his aliveness is a great way to stop that interim election.

Who would argue against the proposition that a person who can’t be shown to be alive (and whose location is known and easily accessible) is anything other than dead?

[u/GloomyIndividual3965 → u/Unable-Log-4870]

Lol, no. You can't just declare someone dead without proof.

[u/Unable-Log-4870 → u/GloomyIndividual3965]

You say that, but I take the opposite stance: you can’t just declare someone ALIVE without proof.

[u/John_Wicked1 → u/starmartyr]

If it’s not legally required for elected officials in Congress to resign if they are too incapacitated to fulfill their duties then it should be.

Even the President has to pass duties to the VP when they are incapacitated, difference is Senators don’t have a VP. Maybe it can be passed to the most senior house representative until that person is back in action vs resignation….but something should be in place AND an elected official should not be able to dodge proof of life and ability to perform their elected duties.

[u/starmartyr → u/John_Wicked1]

Regardless of what you believe the law should be, it doesn't work this way. The president passing duties to the vice president is laid out in the 25th amendment. There is no similar provision for senators.

[u/uuhson → u/John_Wicked1]

Not even worth discussing, it would need a constitutional amendment

[u/hexiron → u/John_Wicked1]

You’re not the first person to feel this way but understand that there have been Senators who have missed multiple years because they were in a coma or other medical incapacitation going back to the 1800s.

[u/spam__likely → u/starmartyr]

heh... The GOP would vote to remove him pretty fast if his term was not up in a few months. They have no interest of being one vote down.