The U.S. Constitution says you have to be at least 30 to serve in the Senate. For president, it’s 35. But it doesn’t say when you have to leave. And lately, that second part is getting considerably more attention.
A LOT of that kind of attention was paid to former President Biden when he was in office, as his increasingly frail appearance, verbal stumbles and highly publicized lapses fueled questions about whether age was taking a toll on his ability to do the job. Those concerns intensified after his June 2024 debate against former President Trump, and he was pushed out of running for president again.
Now, the age debate has shifted to another longtime Washington fixture. Sen. Mitch McConnell returned to Washington this week after roughly three months away following a serious fall. The 84- year-old Kentucky Republican arrived in a wheelchair, acknowledged he isn’t quite back to 100%, and spoke with some difficulty. During a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting [1] Wednesday, colleagues had to prompt McConnell to respond “aye” during a vote.
McConnell is far from the only elderly senator. Eight sitting U.S. senators are now 80 or older: Republican Chuck Grassley, 92; Independent Bernie Sanders, 85; McConnell, 84; Republican Jim Risch, 83; Independent Angus King, 82; Democrat Dick Durbin, 81; and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey, both 80. The average senator is about 65 years old.
Of course, not every 80+ politician is ready for the rocking chair. President Donald Trump, who turned 80 in June, is something of an outlier – maintaining a relentless schedule of rallies, speeches, travel, meetings and media appearances that would wear out plenty of people decades younger.
But that’s the point: Trump is the exception, not proof that everyone should keep collecting a government paycheck into their 80s and 90s. For every older politician still charging through a packed schedule, Washington has plenty of others who need to get the boot.
The Constitution establishes minimum ages but no maximum. That leaves voters with a growing debate that crosses party lines: If America decided its most powerful offices required a minimum level of maturity, should there also be a point when candidates age out?
Back when the Constitution was signed in 1787, living into your 80s was far less common than it is today. The Founders were designing a government for a country they could scarcely have imagined would one day routinely elect and reelect politicians well into their 70s and 80s.
But for now, there’s no expiration date on a political career. For elected officials determined to hang onto their seats as long as possible, Washington’s retirement age remains remarkably flexible: whenever they finally decide to leave.