“It’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.”
That is what Utah Senator Mitt Romney said when he announced in September 2023 that he would not be looking for re-election. Romney, who is 76 years old, told the media he “will not seek reelection next year,” noting he would be in his mid-80s by the end of another term.
This decision for Romney to step down surprised many, as very few other seasoned members of Congress seemed to be stepping away. As the road to election season begins, many politicians who have been in their chairs for decades are not stepping down for a new generation to take those spots. Many of these politicians have been serving in Congress for multiple decades — experiencing different commitments, times of war, scandals and flip-flops in party majorities.
With so much experience, the thought of stepping down may not be on their minds. Some politicians running for re-election are President Joe Biden, 81, Donald Trump, 77, Nancy Pelosi, 83 and others who are over the age of 70. This fact is concerning. Many of the people making the decisions for our country don’t want to give up power, even as their health and age begin to affect them severely.
The average age of a politician sitting in the chambers of Congress is 58.4 years old for the House of Representatives and 64.3 years old for the Senate. This is twice the age of the average American citizen, showing how the current representatives are not actually representing the people.
Diane Feinstein was still a senator for California when she passed away in September 2023 at 90 years old. She refused to give up her seat in Congress but signed all of her power of attorney over to her daughter. Her daughter had control over her yet she still had control in what was being done on the Senate floor.
It is a major concern to have people seated in Congress for decades continue their time in office. The generational differences have jumped to a new level many have never seen before — managing differences that include technology, mental health concerns, sexual and gender orientation. It is hard for many of these members to have to re-learn so much of what they thought they knew on how to help people in this country.
With the median age in the United States being 38.9 years old, there is a necessary change in how old someone should be when serving in public office.
The age limit proposal is 75 years old.
The average American retires around the age of 63 to 65. So giving an almost 10 year gap for people to still run for office, makes people still be in society and have a voice for the older generation.
To put it into perspective; an age limit would be beneficial as there is an age minimum to serve in Congress. For someone to run for the House of Representatives they must be at least 25 and a Senator must be at least 30 years old.
Not only that, but it also gives the new generations a chance to be a part of the conversation. In the current Congressional class, there are 24 millennials and only one Generation Z (Gen. Z) member, 26-year-old Maxwell Frost from Florida. The majority of Congress is the silent generation (birth years 1928-1945) and baby boomers (1946-1964). Making up 54 percent combined, this is the third oldest Congressional class in history.
Gen. Z is reaching the age where they can run for office, so having these age limits go into effect would help to get more candidates who represent the true American population into office. In one study, it is said that 28.4% of youth ages 18-24 cast a ballot in 2022 for midterm elections..This generation is seeing what is going on in Congress, especially after the pandemic and civil rights movements of Black Lives Matter, and finds that nothing is working to generate the desired change. There are many issues that this generation has strong feelings and opinions about that seem to be ignored by older generations who are the ones making laws.
Now, this is not to say that older generations do not have strong opinions that align with or help the upcoming generations of Americans, but it is a small margin. It is hard to want to keep someone in office who will not actually accurately represent their district or region.
If an age limit were to be put in place it would not take effect immediately. Throughout the next few election cycles, it would have to be a gradual shift to see how well it works. This encourages younger generations who want to hold office and make a difference the chance to do so. The full results would not be for a few decades, but it is something to consider as the generational knowledge gap has continued to grow.
Romney is starting the charge by stepping down from his position and making room for the next generation. He is starting the change and hoping that others will follow
