Should There Be A Mandatory Retirement Age for Serving In the U.S. Congress?

[Yavin4]

I would have to say "yes" to that question, and my reasoning is that laws we put into effect should be forward looking and should benefit future generations, not the oldest ones in power.

Take the wars as an example, the fact that we cannot end them reflect a generational mindset about use of force, being the world's policeman, oil policy, and other arcane Middle East politics. Do these reasons reflect the concerns of the younger generations of Americans who are struggling to pay for school, struggling to find a job, and looking at life with fewer and fewer opportunities.

Do they care about Baby Boomer pols' guilt over not serving in Vietnam and now want to show how tough they can be militarily?

Take the environment, older pols don't care about global warming for the simple reason that they won't be around when things get real ugly. Younger people will.

On issue after issue, having an overwhelming majority of our congresspeople from older, out of touch generations just does not serve us well. They've become care more about issues and matters that affect them, not the future. More likely to vote for tax cuts instead of increased education funding. More likely to vote for wars than schools.

For this reason, there should be a mandatory retirement age for the U.S. congress.

[Lance_Boyle]

1. No, there should be term limits. n/t

[Bitwit1234]

22. Good Lord I wish there was a way we could accomplish that.

You get the tired old, tired old refrain. We have term limits vote them out. BUT how can an average person have the kind of money and backing available that an incumbent has to get re-elected over and over. If they had six years and out the door, something would be accomplished.

[LiberalFighter]

23. There already is term limits.

Voters are just too stupid to use it in the right cases.

When they have polls asking if they want to keep their congress critter in most cases the majority of them want to keep them. And at the same time they want congress critters from other districts to be voted out.

[jobycom]

2. No. Voters should be allowed to choose who they want, regardless of age or anything else.

That's why I don't like term limits, age limits, or any other requirements. The limit is on the voter, not the politician.

[femmocrat]

6. Agree.

If voters are too irresponsible to do their homework, and just pull the lever for the most familiar name, then it is the responsibility of the opposition candidates to work harder to get their message known.

There are plenty of examples (including Arlen Specter) who were ousted by lesser-known candidates who ran better campaigns.

[Posteritatis]

8. This in every particular. (nt)

[phantom power]

3. Don't trust anyone over 30!

:hi:

Wait a minute...

[jobycom]

9. I think most people over 30

oompletely agree with that. :)

[femmocrat]

4. No,

I don't think there should be a mandatory retirement age for any job. I don't think it is fair to stereotype any generation--- like you just did.

[closeupready]

5. The problem, as I see it, is corruption, also known as 'campaign finance donations'.

I believe the exact same thing is regarded as bribery in other states, isn't it? Why it is legal here in the US, I will never understand. But fix that, and you'd fix the underlying problems about representatives not doing their jobs.

[Ozymanithrax]

7. No. The Edward Kennedy's are worth the cost.

[snooper2]

10. term limits would probably fix it, but yes, we should have younger folks in Congress

http://www.centeroncongress.org/learn_about/feature/qa_members.html#age

Members have gotten older! The average age of a House Member is now 56 years and for a Senator, 61.7 years.


It may get better in about 20-30 years as the old racist fucks who want to take the U.S. back to the 50's die off.

[PBS Poll-435]

11. 92. nt

[DrDan]

12. age???? Absolutely not

Are you kidding me? Older politicians don't care about the environment?????? Don't care about education????? Don't care about schools???? I assume that thinking also applies to older citizens.


This is one of the most offensive posts I have read in my nearly 10 years here.

[cali]

13. My 70 year old Senator, Pat Leahy. What a war monger.

[Yavin4]

17. Yet, We Still Have Two Wars Going On

No matter how great one Congressman may be, the institutional age of the majority of the congress rules the day.

[digitaln3rd]

14. No, just on Supreme Court seats.

Unelected life terms are awful.

[iamtechus]

15. As long as they face election periodically there should be no age limit.

[TexasObserver]

16. Yes. Age 60. And no jobs lobbying for at least ten years thereafter.

If congress critters have to reenter the real world at age 60 without becoming a lobbyist, they'll care about senior care, they'll care about Medicare, they'll care about cost of living and things they never worry about while in congress.

You can run for the House at age 25 and the Senate at age 30. That's plenty of time to be a public servant. If they want to use their "skills" for something political, they can run for state or local office after retiring from the congress.

[Yavin4]

19. Exactly.

Too many congressman are out of touch with average lives of American citizens because they've spent their entire lifetime in the privilege of being a member of congress.

[TexasObserver]

20. We need to be able to force them to go home.

And it needs to be while they're still young enough to have decades of life to live. That will force them to be realistic about issues dear to seniors. That bodes well for everyone.

They all believe they're going to be reelected forever, and getting them out once entrenched is very difficult.

[Yavin4]

21. How Many Would Vote for the Public Option

if they knew that they weren't going to get life long healthcare?

How many would vote for cutting SS or extending the retirement age if they knew they weren't going to get lifelong pensions?

How many would vote against extending UE benefits if they knew that they may be unemployed and unemployable?

How many would open to cries of age discrimination if they were forced at age 59 into the job market?

[TexasObserver]

24. I agree. They'd care more about health care than wars.

[MineralMan]

18. I don't think so. They have to apply for their job every 2 or 6 years.

And, then, there is Ted Kennedy. I believe that is enough to say.