Grayest Congress in History
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James Joyner | Saturday, October 21, 2006 |
The current congressional delegation is the oldest in history.
Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., is an institution. He’s the longest serving senator in U.S. history. He’s also 88 years old, and if he wins re-election — he’s the clear favorite in his race — he’ll be 95 at the end of his ninth term. But Byrd isn’t alone. Also up for re-election is Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, who is 82 and would be 88 at the end of his third term, if re-elected. And over in the House, the 83-year-old Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Texas, is running for a 14th term.
Congress, in fact, is the grayest it’s ever been, and don’t expect this to change much after the November midterms. The average age of a senator is 60 (the oldest ever) and the average age of a member of the House is 55 (the oldest in more than a century).
The aging Congress, experts say, is partly a reflection of more members — like Byrd and Akaka — deciding to stay in office for their own personal reasons. But it’s also a reflection of their political parties wanting them to stay. “What is indisputable is that both parties are begging their incumbents to continue serving, regardless of age,” Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, wrote at the beginning of this election cycle.
This isn’t all that surprising, given that the population overall is aging, as is the electorate. Indeed, 60 is practically middle-aged in terms of the median health levels of that cohort.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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So Congress is getting older - and our Presidents are getting younger...
the parties want incumbancy because positions of power are distributed with seniority.also celebrity is more important to a lazy electorate than effective responsiveness.
When I first glanced at the headline I thought it said GAYIST congress in history, which is also probably true.
This is sad. Young people are not involved enough in politics which goes to show that the next generation will have fewer leaders and future voter turnout will continue to decrease.
Just supports my belief in the need for term limits. They are out of touch.
I think the problem isn't so much that they are old, but that so many of them have been there for 30 years or so.
While I am not super keen on term limits, the fact that essentially congress is a career and the job many of these men have held the longest doesn't sit right with me.
A part of me thinks doing away with those really nice pensions and other "after congress" perks is the better move to make. A person's pension should come from their real career, and congress shouldn't be a career.
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