Proposal for an age limit makes waves in American politics

Working beyond retirement age is one of the few issues with bipartisan consensus in Washington. US President Donald Trump will turn 80 this year, and Joe Biden leaves office at the age of 82, both breaking records for age in office since Ronald Reagan.

In the US Congress, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is 92 years old, while Representative Maxine Waters, a Democrat, is 87 years old. It is not uncommon for parliamentarians to die while in office. In 2025 alone, there will be three cases, all 70 years old or older.

Rahm Emanuel, White House chief of staff under Barack Obama, recently called for a mandatory retirement age of 75 for presidents, cabinet members, lawmakers and federal judges. Emanuel believes that this rule also applies to himself, if he later returns to hold an important position in Washington.

“Washington needs a power overhaul,” said Mr. Emanuel, 66 years old, who is considering the possibility of running for president in 2028.

American voters in recent years have increasingly paid attention to the issue of age and tenure, as the candidates they choose are all older. Poll results published by YouGov in January showed that 73% of American adults thought there should be an age limit for the presidential position, 69% said there should be a similar option for the Senate and House of Representatives.

Signs of decline related to Mr. Biden’s advanced age in 2024 have caused the Democratic Party a lot of damage. The health of President Trump, 79 years old, recently attracted attention when bruises appeared on his hands and required imaging tests. He sometimes closes his eyes at events, leading some to believe he is dozing.

The White House explained that the bruises were due to Mr. Trump having to shake hands frequently. Regular use of aspirin to protect the heart can also lead to easy bruising. President Trump denied reports that he fell asleep during meetings, claiming he was just relaxing. He repeatedly claimed to be in perfect health.

Nearly half of the nine US Supreme Court justices, positions with lifetime tenure, are over 70 years old. The average age of federal judges in the country in 2024 is 67.7, according to a survey.

The US Congress is also clearly aging. Data from the Congressional Research Service shows that the median age in the House of Representatives increased from 50.7 to 57.9 years from 1987 to 2025, while in the Senate it increased from 54.4 to 63.9 years. The House of Representatives has 45 members over 75 years old, this number in the Senate is 17 people.

NBC News in January described the US as having the third oldest Congress in history, with an average age of 58.9 at the start of the term in January 2025. Meanwhile, the median age of the US population is 39.1 years old.

“This is the most wonderful nursing home in the world,” said Republican member Judd Gregg. He served as a congressman, governor of New Hampshire, and a senator before retiring in 2011 at the age of 64. “You can go there and do very interesting things, instead of playing cards or golf.”

Nick Tomboulides, executive director of the nonpartisan organization US Term Limits, which advocates amending the constitution to limit parliamentary terms, said the core issue is not age, but the advantage of incumbents in the American political system.

“When it is possible to run for re-election for a long time with almost no formidable opponents, many politicians have no incentive to leave power, even when their capacity and level of contribution have declined,” Mr. Tomboulides said.

Emanuel said his proposal is not just about age, but is also part of a broader package of reforms that Washington desperately needs. According to him, forcing officials to leave their positions in the three executive, judicial and legislative branches at age 75 will give Washington a new start, but admitted there is no specific scientific or medical reason for choosing this age mark.

“You can teach and contribute to America in many other ways, instead of staying in office until age 93,” Emanuel said. “If you haven’t left a mark by the age of 75, you won’t be able to do it at the age of 78 either.”

Emanuel’s proposal recalls an idea central to former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s 2024 presidential campaign. She called for term limits for MPs and “mandatory cognitive testing” for politicians over 75 years old.

Ms. Haley called Emanuel’s suggestion “better than nothing,” but said it would almost certainly never be passed by Congress. According to her, the US government is out of step with the private sector, when businesses apply age limits of 72 or 75 for board members to refresh the leadership team.

“Although the aging process is different for each person, at a certain point, things no longer operate as fast as before, you are no longer sharp and lack energy,” she continued.

Older lawmakers argue that seniority and experience help them understand how the system works and bring practical benefits to voters. This is also a factor that helps them still attract support when running for re-election.

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch is running for re-election in November and if elected, he will end his 6-year term at the age of 89. Risch said he still loves his job and wants to participate in debates on hot issues in the world.

“You must really love this job, have enough time for your family and your health. If you are healthy and doing what you want, why not continue?”, Mr. Risch asked.

Mr. Gregg also opposes arbitrarily imposing an age for resignation.

“It takes a lot of time to understand how the federal government works,” the former senator said. “Until you grasp the mechanism, you cannot be considered a powerful voice. It took me at least 10 years to fully understand the budget issue.”