ERIC EPSTEIN CORRUPTION CORRAL

Corruption Corral is back with Eric Epstein!

Eric highlights the stark contrast between the average age of Americans, 39, and the average age of Congress members, 59. With 24 members over 80, and many more nearing retirement, the conversation touches on the importance of considering the physical and mental abilities of lawmakers. The speaker also brings up the case of Charles Grassley, who, at 91, is still active in the Senate, and the example of Nancy Pelosi, who, despite her age, remains a powerful figure in Congress.

The discussion also explores the concept of term limits, with the speaker suggesting that a 12-year limit would be a good starting point. However, this raises the question of how to verify a lawmaker's ability to discharge their duties, especially in cases where age may be a factor. The speaker also touches on the issue of power accumulation and the need for fresh perspectives in politics.

If you're interested in learning more about this timely topic and the speaker's thoughts on how to address the issue of age in politics, tune in to this episode to hear the full conversation and join the discussion.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Yes, well, it's time for the corruption Corral. Late thirty six,
twenty four to go two on nine o'clock. Eric Epstein
on the phone from rockby Capital. Eric, how are you today, sir?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I'm good, feeling good.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
How about you, man, I'm doing well as well. Thank
you for asking. So today you want to talk about
ternal moments.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
I hear turn moments for age and we talked about
this before, and so let's just look at the play
in action. The Congress is the third oldest in history.
Around fifty nine is the average age. The median age
for Americans is thirty nine. Right now, we've got twenty

(00:45):
four members over eighty and half are running for reelection.
Charles grass Leave, who's ninety one, will be ninety five
if he run for another term. So when you look
at the Constitution, the minimum age for the House twenty five,
thirty for the Senate, and thirty five for the President.
But our Jay, the Constitution was written in the time

(01:08):
when the average life inspect he was forty. Today it's
seventy nine. And if you look at the average age
of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, it
was forty four. Franklin was the oldest member. He was seventy,
So I think if you look at the field of play,
you have thirty two stays in the district of Columbia

(01:29):
or one of the states that have a maximum major
limits for judges. When we talked, I think two years ago,
I argued against it. But I think there's been so
many cases of questionable health. I mean, Kate Granger died
yesterday and she was not in the house. She had
just left, but she hadn't voted for years. And we

(01:51):
all know about Nancy not Nancy I go said Nancy
Pelos shuttle because she's the Senator. Dianne Finstein, you know,
was barely you see it with Mitch McConnell, and you're
probably old enough to go back to Justice William O.
Douglas on the Supreme Court who had a stroke and
was still on the court. So I think the issue

(02:12):
is becoming There's a couple of things. First, is a
person able to discharge their duties. I think in the
case of McConnell and probably Feinstein, the inch would be no,
but they hold office. I think the second issue is
it's like we become a gerontocracy. I mean, not to
offend older people, but there's no diversity, So I don't. Look,

(02:37):
it's not going to change because you would need either
a constitutional convention or an amendment process. But you know,
the issue for today is, well, whoa whoa.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Whoa, whoa whoa. You haven't given us an age. You
have not given us an age. If you're for this,
what is it?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Seventy?

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Okay, seventy is your age? Now let me take it,
let me let me.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
I'm going to I'm going to change direction a little
bit on you. Okay, all right, And this can't be
candidate related. It has to be by law. It should
just be term limits. You ought to be limited to term.
I've always said twelve years. You get two terms as
a Senator, and as a member of the House you

(03:21):
get six terms. Twelve twelve years. It's it. That's that
you're done. Now if you're a member of the House
for twelve years and you run for the Senate and win,
that's a different job. So you know, the clock resets.
But here's why. Here's why I say that if the
voters of District number heins wy Dry decide that they

(03:47):
want to elect the seventy five year old candidate over
the rest of them, why shouldn't they be allowed to
do that? You know, and term limits mean twelve years
now and you're out, no matter what age you are,
twelve years you're done.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Now.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
Let me ask you this, Okay, what is it when
it comes to you? Or I didn't want to ask you.
I wanted to tell you. I agree with you, Mitch
McConnell should not be in the Senate right now, right
should not be in the Senate. So I think that
term limits in a way to take people out of

(04:26):
their jobs who are not confident, and I know it exists,
but it doesn't work. That's the answer to me.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
Well, I'm going to argue against myself. When we talked
two years ago, you know, we looked at people that
were old and still actually very active. Charles Grassley, a
Republican from Iowa, is actually the third in line two
become presidents. Should disaster happen, very unlikely to occur. The

(04:54):
point you make is the point that I think is
the sticking point, and that is the longer you're like
later has been in office, the more power he's a crew,
probably a committee chair. And I think to that point,
nuke Genrich had a pretty good idea and that's term
limit committee chairs. I agree, yeah, and you don't have

(05:16):
to go through a process that is unlikely to succeed.
But you know, I don't know how many other people
may not be competent. I don't know what the competency
test is. I think McConnell and Biden too, we're embarrassing. Yeah,
you got to a point. This guy's the president and
then this guy's in the Senate. So I don't think

(05:40):
there's the internal Okay.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
Now, what I was going to say in a slightly
not a different direction. But when it comes to the
term limits, the reason I said it cannot be candidate
related is a candidate could say I'm going to limit
myself to twelve years. Well, under the current system, I
don't want that candidate. And I'll tell you why. It's

(06:04):
what you pointed out. The more time they have in,
the more power they have, the more they can do
for the district that I live in and that voted
that person in. Now, is that wrong? Yeah, twelve years
and you're out that that would be it for me.
But if they're not gonna change it, if my person

(06:26):
says I'm going to only serve six years, I'm only
going to serve twelve years. I am now at a
disadvantage because the guy next door may stay for life.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, well you are at a disadvantage. And the reality
is if you get ten years let's say the legislature,
your best similar in Congress. The longer they stay, the
more financially beneficial it is. And you know there's an
onslought of healthcare and pension benefits they get. And you know,
our jay, I think this peels back to yet another issue.

(06:58):
If we had, you know, redistricting that didn't favor the
rs or the d's, then you would actually have competitive
districts and hopefully that would take care of the issue.
But you know, when you're looking at polling, for instance,
like the polling for term limits, like seventy nine percent
of Americans for the Congress, seventy four for the Supreme Court,

(07:21):
it's clear where the majority of the Americans stand until
you ask them about their own representative and senator. So look,
I don't I was not there a couple of years ago,
but there's been too many incidents and you know, Republican
or Democrat, I mean embarrassing.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, no, it is. If you are not able to serve,
then Obviously McConnell isn't, and Feinstein wasn't, and there are
others that are questionable. Then you ought to be out,
there's no question about that. But it ought to be
Their needs to be a way to verify that, because

(08:05):
if you listen to the competition, they would tell you
some Supreme Court members now should be out or this
per look at you know, I mean, so it really
has to be verifiable.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
Well, that brings in the final point is I think
the turnover. Okay, the person is known his experience, but experience.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
That what And yeah, that's that's a nonsense that's a
nonsense argument.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
You need a fresh perspective. And well, if you're not
able to look, if you're not able to vote, and
that was not Nancy Feinstein. She couldn't vote. I don't
know if you remember she was on a committee and
their staff whispered in her ear.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
Yeah, yeah, now I remember.

Speaker 1 (08:47):
All right, Well listen, we're out of time, but we
agree on much of what was said here. So it's
just it's just a matter of how we get there,
and we never will, never will, So all right, see
you next month.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
Take care. Eric Keepstein eight forty five

Speaker 2 (09:06):
Mm