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Feinstein has awkward moment; McConnell falls before freeze-up

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A day after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., appeared to freeze up during a news conference, Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., had her own awkward moment on Capitol Hill. When asked to vote on a Senate Defense Appropriations Bill on Thursday, July 27, Feinstein began giving an unprompted speech.

“I would like to support a yes vote on this. It provides $823 billion. That’s an increase of $26 billion for the Department of Defense. And it funds priorities submitted,” Feinstein began to say before Sen. Pat Murray, D-Wash., told her to “just say ‘aye.”’

Thursday’s incident came just a couple months after Feinstein returned from a lengthy absence from Congress after she was hospitalized with a case of the shingles. During the absence, members of her own Democratic Party called on her to resign. The 90-year-old senator plans to retire at the end of her current term in 2024.

Feinstein’s incident also came as new details about McConnell’s physical health leading up to his freeze-up this week have been revealed. According to reports, he tripped and fell while getting off a plane earlier in July.

McConnell was not seriously hurt, and was seen later that day at the Capitol. According to a source McConnell has been using a wheelchair recently as a precaution when he navigates crowded airports.

According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the right. The Media Landscape indicates that while left-leaning and center-oriented outlets are covering this story, fewer – if any – right-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.

McConnell is 81 years old. As a polio survivor, he has long struggled to navigate stairs and other obstacles.

The senator spent six weeks away from Congress recovering from a concussion and a cracked rib suffered in a fall earlier in 2023. Another fall in 2019 fractured McConnell’s shoulder, an injury that required surgery to treat.

The recent incidents with both McConnell and Feinstein have served as the latest reminder that America’s most powerful political leaders are much older than most in the rest of the world.

At 80 years old, President Joe Biden is the oldest U.S. president to ever serve in the White House. The median age for world leaders is currently 62.

President Biden’s advanced age has led to concerns about his fitness to run for reelection in 2024.

But it’s not just Biden. The Senate is also the oldest its been in U.S. history. At 64 years old, the Senate has the seventh highest average age of any lawmaking body in the world.

Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.

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A DAY AFTER SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL APPEARED TO FREEZE UP DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE — CALIFORNIA SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN HAD HER OWN AWKWARD MOMENT ON CAPITOL HILL.

WHEN ASKED TO VOTE ON A DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL — FEINSTEIN BEGAN GIVING AN UNPROMPTED SPEECH.

TAKE A LOOK.

“Senator Feinstein.”

“Just say ‘aye’.”

“Pardon me?”

“Aye.”

“Yeah. I would like to support a yes vote on this. It provides $823 billion. That’s an increase of $26 billion for the Department of Defense. And it funds priorities submitted…”

“Just say ‘aye’.”

“Ok, aye.”

“Thank you.”

THE INCIDENT THURSDAY COMES JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AFTER FEINSTEIN RETURNED FROM A LENGTHY ABSENCE FROM CONGRESS — AFTER SHE WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH A CASE OF THE SHINGLES.

DURING SAID ABSENCE — MEMBERS OF HER OWN DEMOCRATIC PARTY CALLED ON HER TO RESIGN.

THE 90-YEAR-OLD SENATOR PLANS TO RETIRE AT THE END OF HER CURRENT TERM IN 20-24.

MEANWHILE — WE’RE LEARNING NEW DETAILS ABOUT MCCONNELL’S PHYSICAL HEALTH LEADING UP TO HIS FREEZE-UP THIS WEEK.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS — HE TRIPPED AND FELL WHILE GETTING OFF A PLANE EARLIER THIS MONTH.

MCCONNELL WAS NOT SERIOUSLY HURT — AND WAS SEEN LATER THAT DAY AT THE CAPITOL.

ACCORDING TO A SOURCE — MCCONNELL HAS BEEN USING A WHEELCHAIR RECENTLY AS A PRECAUTION WHEN HE NAVIGATES CROWDED AIRPORTS.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE ON THIS STORY.

AS YOU CAN SEE — MOST OF THE SOURCES COVERING THIS STORY ARE IN THE CENTER AND ON THE LEFT — WITH ONLY ONLY ONE SOURCE COVERING IT FROM THE RIGHT.

TO GET THE FULL SPECTRUM OF COVERAGE ON THE STORIES YOU CARE ABOUT — VISIT OUR WEBSITE — S-A-N DOT COM.

MCCONNELL IS 81 YEARS OLD – AND AS A POLIO SURVIVOR – HE HAS LONG STRUGGLED TO NAVIGATE STAIRS AND OTHER OBSTACLES.

THIS INCIDENT COMES AFTER MCCONNELL SPENT 6 WEEKS AWAY FROM CONGRESS RECOVERING FROM A CONCUSSION AND A CRACKED RIB SUFFERED IN A FALL EARLIER THIS YEAR.

ANOTHER FALL IN 20-19 FRACTURED MCCONNELL’S SHOULDER — AND INJURY THAT REQUIRED SURGERY TO TREAT.

THE RECENT INCIDENTS WITH BOTH MCCONNELL AND FEINSTEIN HAVE SERVED AS THE LATEST REMINDER THAT AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL POLITICAL LEADERS ARE MUCH OLDER THAN IN MOST OF THE REST OF THE WORLD.

AT 80 YEARS OLD — JOE BIDEN IS THE OLDEST PRESIDENT TO EVER SERVE IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

THE MEDIAN AGE FOR WORLD LEADERS IS CURRENTLY 62.

BIDEN’S ADVANCED AGE HAS LED TO CONCERNS ABOUT HIT FITNESS TO RUN FOR REELECTION IN 20-24.

YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE CONCERNS AT S-A-N-DOT-COM.

BUT IT’S NOT JUST BIDEN.

THE SENATE IS ALSO THE OLDEST ITS BEEN IN U-S HISTORY.

AT 64 YEARS OLD — THE SENATE HAS SEVENTH AVERAGE AGE OF ANY PARLIAMENTARY BODY IN THE WORLD.