President Trump may have gotten a clean bill of health from the White House physician, but that’s not enough for one Democratic lawmaker.
Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA) is introducing legislation that, if passed, would require all future presidential nominees of a major party to get a physical and cognitive examination from an approved physician to insure they are in proper shape to govern. That includes their mental health.
“Right now you can be elected president, and unless you voluntarily release your medical records, we the voting public and we constituents have no idea,” Boyle told Cheddar in an interview Wednesday.
The Congressman saw an opening for the legislation following President Trump’s now-famous tweet, in which he wrote, “I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!”
As a nod to that declaration, Boyle is calling his proposal the Stable Genius Act, an acronym for “Standardizing Testing and Accountability Before Large Elections Giving Electors Necessary Information for Unobstructed Selection Act.”
"I've never heard someone who is stable or a genius self-declare that they are either or both," he said.
While the president may have released his exam results to shut down any questions about his fitness, Boyle says, “This shows why the bill is really necessary and no big deal for a presidential nominee to take a few hours out and have this examination. The information we got yesterday is exactly the information we should have on future presidential nominees and future presidents”
As for the accuracy of the presidential details presented by the White House doctor yesterday, Boyle says, “His weight was listed as 239, and I demand a recount.”
The Congressman says he has had serious conversations with Democrats in Congress about passing the legislation. He is confident that, come January 2019, Democrats will again hold control of Congress and be able to turn the “Stable Genius Act” into law.
“It’s not just Donald Trump,” he says, citing the example of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who died 82 days into his fourth term. “We the public need to be sure that the person who has the ability to launch a nuclear war is fit for office, physically and mentally.”
To see the full interview, [click here] ( https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-brendan-boyle-d-pa-wants-to-ensure-future-presidents-are-physically-fit-to-lead).
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