Did you know that according to a recent RMG Research poll, nearly 80% of voters in North Dakota would support an age limit for members of Congress? This initiative dictates that no one over 80 years old could serve or be elected. Some individuals may argue that age limits are an unnecessary, even borderline discriminatory measure; however, many different careers already exercise age limits on their employees- it just goes by a different name.
In Florida, firefighters have a mandatory retirement age of 55 (leg.state.fl.us). Imagine being stuck in a burning building: The CDC states that the average woman weighs 170.8 lbs., and the average man weighs 199.8 lbs.; Would you have unwavering faith in a seventy year old man or woman to carry equipment and patients up and down flights of stairs? Would you have complete confidence that they wouldn’t miscalculate dosages or misremember procedures for the patients in their care?
North Carolina has set the mandatory retirement age for police officers to be 55 years old (myncretirement.com). Their responsibilities are extensive and demanding, requiring their mind and body to be razor sharp. There are exceptions to every demographic, but the chances of an eighty year old having the endurance to properly execute their duties and make split second decisions are abysmally low. Imagine a scenario where an officer is examining a crime scene. Many pieces of evidence, like hair, fingerprints, and biological substances, are delicate and can be easily disturbed if not collected and stored properly. Proper procedures and PPE are critical, and an older officer may not execute those procedures because of forgetfulness or confusion.
Many politicians and citizens alike would be against age limits, citing a Congress filled with green politicians as the reason; however, their age can be the very reason for their blunders. One case is 68 year-old U.S. Rep. David Trone for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, who is now running for the U.S. Senate. During a budget hearing, he said a racial slur instead of bugaboo, which means an object of fear or alarm (The Guardian). In response to the backlash, he claimed that he simply used the word by mistake. Assuming that is the truth, consider the extensive socioeconomic implications if this had occurred during a meeting with foreign powers- as if this incident weren’t bad enough within our own borders.
Trone is one of many examples as to why there should be age limits- another kind of term limits- on Congress, the legislative body that is responsible for representing the will of close to four hundred million citizens. We, as the American people, need to remember that “slips of the tongue” like this will affect the image of the U.S. as a whole.
Incumbents will use their abundant resources to their every advantage, so we need legislation that will protect us in more ways than one. Thirty-one other states have mandatory retirement ages for various occupations (ncsc.org), and close to 90% of Americans support term limits (termlimits.com); it’s time to term limit members of Congress, North Dakota.