photo credit: Savanna Smith
The United States government has been breaking records over the past few years with the oldest Senate and Congress, as well as the most recent presidents being the oldest to ever take office. The longest serving senators and congressmen have served for over 50 years.
There has been a recent increase in politicians in office who are over the age of 70, and even quite a few over the age of 80. Older members of the government are frequently called out for incapability to fulfill their obligations.
There are far too many occurrences of politicians who are prohibited from completing their duties due to health issues that come from their old age. After a certain age, elected officials should not be permitted to hold their place in office.
It is important that elected government officials are of the correct health to be capable of serving and are mentally able to handle the responsibilites. The age limit for elected officials should be at about 70 years old.
According to Pew Research Center, a resounding 79 percent of Americans favor an age maximum of 70 for elected government officials. Including 82 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Democrats supporting a maximum age limit for these officials.
With Joe Biden being the oldest person to ever be in office at 81, and previous president Donald Trump as the second-oldest at age 77, it seems politicians are getting older on average. Biden in the spotlight as president especially receives backlash for his age, receiving nicknames such as ‘Sleepy Joe’.
Biden has fallen on camera at least eight times since winning the election, something that is causing many to wonder whether he would be a good candidate for reelection in 2024.
The two front-runners for the next election, Biden and Trump, would both reach their 80s before leaving the office in 2029. Both of these candidates would be breaking records for the oldest to ever be in office if either win the election.
The current Congress is also the oldest in history, as the median age is 65 in the Senate. This isn’t necessarily a result of Americans voting older politicians into office, it is caused by those elected staying in office for decades, and proceeding to die in office.
Former South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond served 47 years in Congress before passing in office at 100-years-old in 2003; he had been in office since 1954. While in office, Thurmond was under sedation and frequently needed assistance standing up from his chair, according to USA Today.
Recently, there have been quite a few incidents where some of the United States oldest politicians have shown their age in the spotlight. These incidents have Americans wondering whether politicians can be too old to serve in office.
During an interview on Aug. 23 of this year with 81-year-old senator Mitch McConnell, he was seen freezing up when asked a question. It took him several minutes to return to consciousness and become responsive again.
While the cause for this was never revealed, and in a later interview McConnel stated that he was ‘fine’, according to NPR News, this wasn’t the first time elected officials have shown their age during an important moment.
Several members of Congress have gone through health issues that have prevented them from carrying out their responsibilities. According to NPR News, California Senator Dianne Fenstien, who was formerly the oldest member of the current Senate who passed in office at 90 years old, has missed over 90 votes this session due to health issues.
An age limit and possibly a term limit would eliminate a lot of these issues of politicians reaching an age where they are not healthy enough to carry out their duties. Older members of congress are less likely to understand issues that that are greater priorities for the younger generation, as according to Pew Research Center, Americans ages 65 years and older are more likely to view members of Congress as supportive of good policies. Younger elected officials would be better off for the country and decision making overall, resulting in a fresh set of opinions and ideas that concern not only the older generations, but the future generations of America.
