- There’s increasing concern that American politicians are growing too old in office.
- One congresswoman, 68, says she’s retiring in part to “set a better example.”
- “I’m just not the best gladiator for it right now,” said Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire.
As Americans grow increasingly concerned by the advanced age of top politicians, one retiring lawmaker is taking a different tack.
Rep. Annie Kuster, a 68-year-old Democrat who’s represented a New Hampshire district for 12 years, told the Boston Globe that she’s trying to make room for younger people in Congress.
“I’m trying to set a better example,” Kuster said. “I think there are colleagues — and some of whom are still very successful and very productive — but others who just stay forever.”
Kuster added that she’s “not the best gladiator” to serve as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to reassume office and Democrats gird for at least two years of full GOP control of Congress and the White House.
She’s set to be replaced by Maggie Goodlander, a 38-year-old Democrat who most recently worked in the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden.
According to the 2024 MassMutual Retirement Happiness Study, the average American retires at age 62, which is when early Social Security benefits become available. Many Americans work past that age, either due to financial pressures or a sense of fulfillment from work.
It’s different in Washington, where lawmakers tend to be personally wealthy and driven by a sense of mission. They also grow more powerful the longer they stick around, due to the seniority system.
In 2022, Business Insider reported that roughly a quarter of lawmakers were over the age of 70. But while age limits are popular with the general public, they’re highly unlikely to happen, owing to the difficulty of enacting constitutional amendments.
Democrats in particular have been reckoning with the perils of aging in the wake of their 2024 losses, which many attribute to the 82-year-old Biden’s decision to continue running for reelection until a disastrous debate performance forced him out of the race in July.
In recent weeks, the party has elevated younger leaders to assume top positions on a series of House committees, replacing older or ailing members in their mid- to late 70s.
Still, the perils of gerontocracy continue to emerge.
This month, retiring Republican Rep. Kay Granger, 81, was revealed to be living in a senior living facility in her home state of Texas. She had not cast any votes since July.
Until she stepped down in March, she was the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees the entirety of the federal government’s spending.
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