After McConnell’s and Feinstein’s episodes, should age limits be on the table?

Age limits for political office have come under discussion following recent incidents with the two of the oldest members of the U.S. Senate – Mitch McConnell and Dianne Feinstein.

Attention on aging politicians: Incidents involving Senators McConnell and Feinstein, aged 81 and 90 respectively, have brought the age-old question of whether there should be an upper age limit for holding office.
* McConnell froze during a news conference and Feinstein had to be reminded by colleague to vote “Aye” for the military budget.
* This comes at a time when the median age of the U.S. senators hit a record high of 65.

Legal Perspective: Maximum age limits for holding office are considered unconstitutional due to a 1995 Supreme Court ruling on term limits.
* The court suggested the framers of the Constitution did not intend for term limits or age limits to be part of the constitution’s qualifications as stated by Jeremy Paul, who teaches at Northeastern University School of Law.

Future changes unlikely: Imposing an age limit for Congress would necessitate a constitutional amendment, which would require strong support from Congress and state legislatures.
* Notably, this has been done for the military, commercial pilots, and judges in some states, but it has been more than 30 years since Congress last added an amendment.

Public opinion: Despite stereotypes about old age and forgetfulness, voters’ political choices are not significantly influenced by candidate age according to Damon Roberts, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Term Limits: Debates around institutional knowledge and efficacy counterbalanced by the need for new ideas and challenging the political status quo.
* Critics of term limits argue that serving multiple terms allows politicians to gain institutional knowledge, building relationships, and increasing their ability to pass legislation.
* Supporters, however, see it as a method to prevent an established gerontocracy and promote new ideas in Washington.

View original article on NPR

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