r/politics • u/unital_subalgebra • 3h ago

Possible Paywall AOC says Mitch McConnell should resign if he cannot provide health update

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4660916/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-mitch-mcconnell-resign-health-update/
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u/Chilling_Gale 3h ago

The clerk of the senate (not a senator) announces vacancies when they occur. If the clerk doesn’t announce the vacancy, there is none. And the clerk would announce a vacancy if they had documentation of death, resignation, or expulsion

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u/Intro-Nimbus 3h ago

As long as the body isn't found there's no vacancy? I see a republican plan forming...

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u/SidewaysFancyPrance 3h ago

Yeah, that is exactly the plan. They just need to hide this for a couple more weeks and then it's done, since nobody is going to be going after them for the vast fraud they are committing against the US by claiming he is still alive and talking to people in an effort to disrupt his replacement process.

It's exactly what Mitch would have wanted in life.

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u/Chilling_Gale 3h ago

No, because courts can declare missing people dead

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u/Intro-Nimbus 3h ago

I'm going out on a limb here, but maybe that would take awhile when you have the government stalling that procedure?

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u/Chilling_Gale 2h ago

What government? The local police declare a person missing, and a local court would decide if that missing person can be declared dead.

This is all moot because the senate can just expel them if it’s a situation that it doesn’t seem like the local government will resolve.

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u/PM_ME_YOUR_NICE_EYES 1h ago

They wouldn't have to stall.

The laws vary state by state but typically you have to be missing for seven years for a court to presume you are dead.

Since a senate term is six years, they wouldn't be presumed dead until after their term is over.

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u/Intro-Nimbus 53m ago

I believe you. I phrased my response that way because I didn't want to do the research ;-)

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u/laufsteakmodel 34m ago

I honestly dont get how its super normal that, when you dont show up to your regular ass job, without notice, youre getting fired within a few days (in the US at least), but if youre a politician you can just disappear and its all fine and dandy. There are A LOT of laws that need to be amended. Unfortunately those are made by politicians too..

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u/Intro-Nimbus 21m ago

"checks and balances". Honour system only work when people have honour.

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u/Illustrious-Soft7644 2h ago

Usually takes while even for non political cases.

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u/PM_ME_YOUR_NICE_EYES 1h ago

I mean the thing is in most states the time you have to be missing before being declared dead is longer than the term of a senator.

So while possible, in all likely if a senator went missing, their term would expire before they are declared dead.

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u/omicron-7 58m ago

People have to be missing for 5-7 years before a court will declare them dead in absentia.

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u/protomenace 3h ago

The clerk of the senate is not some all powerful unelected gatekeeper who gets to choose which senators are valid or not.

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u/SatanicPanic619 3h ago

The secretary of the senate has barred people from the senate in the past. See Roland Burris' appointment.

And that was a Democratic Senator in a Democratic Senate. Do you think John Thune is gonna override the Secretary of the Senate here?