Political Awareness

America’s Aging Congress

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the age of elected officials in the United States. The last three Congresses have all ranked among the oldest in U.S. history by average age. The average representative in the House is around 58, and the average Senator is 64. Twenty-seven members of Congress have reached age 80 or older, and more than half are seeking reelection. Perhaps the best example of our country’s aging leadership is Senator Chuck Grassley, who will be 95 years old at the end of his term in 2029. The increased age of elected officials has led to an intense debate regarding potential upper age limits for elected officials. Proponents of these age limits raise questions about how well these older officials can serve the needs of their younger constituents and adapt to the ever-changing technological and political landscape. Those who oppose the limits claim that older officials possess more experience and that every voter should be given the opportunity to vote for whomever they prefer, regardless of the candidate’s age. 

Octogenarian Presidents

When Ronald Reagan was inaugurated in 1981 at 69 years old, he broke a record held for 140 years by William Henry Harrison as the oldest person to be inaugurated as president. In fact, Reagan’s age became a huge topic of discussion during his election campaign, with many voters wondering if his age would hinder his ability to fulfill the duties of the office. Decades later, we have seen a huge shift in how the age of a president is perceived by the general public, with both Joe Biden and Donald Trump (second term) being inaugurated at 78 years of age. This demonstrates that what was once an exception is gradually becoming the norm for modern voters.

Foreign Examples of Age Limits

Maximum age limits for elected officials are exceptionally rare across the globe, with only a handful of examples to analyze. Conversely, nearly 190 countries have a minimum age requirement to hold political office, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. 

• Tunisia (Repealed):

  Tunisia’s Constitution imposed a maximum age limit of 75 for presidential candidates. However, the government has since repealed this limit.

• Cuba (Repealed):

  Cuba’s 2019 Constitution capped first-term presidential candidates at age 60 before the government repealed the limit in 2025.

• Uganda (Repealed):

  Uganda’s Constitution previously set a maximum age limit of 75 for presidential candidates before lawmakers repealed it in 2017.

• Djibouti (Repealed):

  Djibouti imposed a maximum age limit of 75 for presidential candidates before repealing it in 2025.

State-Level Judicial Models

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have some form of mandatory retirement for judges who have reached a certain age specified by that state. Most states cap a judge’s age between 70 and 75, though Vermont stands out as an outlier by setting its maximum age at 90. Unlike state-level judges, federal judges face no mandatory retirement age because the President appoints them for life with Senate approval. While states enforce age limits for their judges, observers still question whether such a system would work for members of Congress.

Current Legislation

In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution strictly defines qualifications for members of Congress, meaning any new age limits require a constitutional amendment rather than standard legislation. Although lawmakers have introduced several resolutions to amend the Constitution, neither chamber has advanced a bill to a vote.

• House Joint Resolution 87 (118th Congress):

  This joint resolution proposed a constitutional amendment to bar anyone from running or holding office as President, Vice President, Representative, or Senator if they would turn 75 or older during their term. This resolution expired without any action.

• Senate Joint Resolution 1 (119th Congress):

  Senator Ted Cruz introduced a 2025 resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to establish congressional term limits. The resolution outlines these limits as three terms for Representatives and two terms for Senators. While this resolution has no mention of an actual maximum age limit, proponents note that it would indirectly address the issue of an aging Congress by promoting turnover. The Committee on the Judiciary received this resolution but has taken no further action.

• House Joint Resolution 12 (119th Congress):

  Introduced in 2025 by Representative Ralph Norman, this resolution proposed the same term limits outlined in Senate Joint Resolution 1. The Committee on the Judiciary received this resolution but has taken no further action.

What Now?

Because implementing an upper age limit for members of Congress can only be done through a constitutional amendment, this remains more of a long-term policy debate than an immediate federal law change. But voters don’t have to wait for Congress to weigh in; they already factor a candidate’s age into their vote every election, which raises the real question: is a constitutional amendment even necessary, or is this a decision better left to the ballot box?

Citations:

Data on Parliaments. IPU Parline: global data on national parliaments. (2023, September 8). https://data.ipu.org/compare/?field=chamber%3A%3Afield_min_age_member_parl&structure=any__lower_chamber

H.J.Res.12 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the number of terms that a member of Congress may serve. | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.-a). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-joint-resolution/12

H.J.Res.87 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to establish an upper limit on the age of eligibility for service as president, vice president, or member of Congress. | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.-a). https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-joint-resolution/87

S.J.Res.1 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to limiting the number of terms that a member of Congress may serve. | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.-e). https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/1

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