Summary
The 119th U.S. Congress is the third oldest in history, with an average member age of 58.9 years.
The Senate’s average age is 63.8, while the House is 57.7. Baby boomers still dominate the Senate, where nearly half are 65 or older, but Gen X now holds more seats than boomers in the House for the first time.
Millennials make up a small portion, while Maxwell Frost, 27, remains the only Gen Z member.
In total, 20 members of Congress are 80 or older, contrasting with a U.S. median age of 39.1.
And people wonder why I’m terrified of anti aging advances …
Why?
I think 45 to 65 is the sweet spot, for most people. Old enough to have good experience and wisdom, but young enough to still have enough energy and sharpness.
Would be nice if taking office required being under the retirement age
I’d be all for competency tests put on by some unbiased group, although I don’t have a lot of hope for that not being politicized quickly, much like seating judges…
While I grow rather tired of some of the obvious ageism and the attendant absurd and vapid commentary that seems to come along with it - e.g., “what does politician X over age Y know about running this country?” (truly, LOL) - I do think that having staff prop up someone for multiple terms should not be a thing. Someone skipping off to be in assisted living should not be possible, either.
I just think setting some arbitrary upper age range is kind of dumb given that not everyone ages at the same rate whether it’s through genes, diet, lifestyle, or exercise…
This might be an evergreen type of title if age extension/reversal becomes a thing. Just sayin’.
I wonder if we’ll look back at titles like this one with wry amusement in a few decades, much like we look back and chuckle at Internet “explainers” aimed at normies when the 'net went commercial/mainstream in the very early 90s…or debates about “this here Internet thing, is it just a fad?”.
LOL.
