As Congress grows older, debate heats up over when to step aside

The 119th Congress ranks as one of the oldest in history, and it's leading to concerns about whether lawmakers who are running for office well into their 80s — and sometimes 90s — are fit for the job.

Most lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital defended their colleagues and said age is a case-by-case situation. But some conceded that there are House members and senators who have stayed long past their prime as well.

Concerns about the age of U.S. lawmakers flare up every several months on both sides of the aisle. Longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell in the halls of the Russell Senate Office Building earlier this month, one of several such incidents in recent years, while a recent police report reportedly said D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton appeared in early stages of dementia — which her office vehemently pushed back on.

"I actually think this is not just an issue for Congress. I think this is a societal issue," Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, told Fox News Digital. "Now, if you attempt to come up with some sort of hard and fast rule, I don't know how you do that, because — I will be very candid, not using any names — I have served with certain members who, in their 80s, or even in their late 70s, have started to clearly slow down. I also serve with other members who are the same age, and frankly, have more energy than I have in my 40s."

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Recent incidents involving D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Sen. Mitch McConnell have raised questions about whether Congress has an age problem. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

But Boyle cited the example of late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who was the first female mayor of San Francisco before going on to be elected the first female senator from California. Her final years were, however, plagued by questions about her age and mental acuity before she ultimately died in office in 2023.

"While I'm not perhaps at the age yet where I have to worry about it too much, at some point, we all in our careers have to think about at what point do we leave the stage?" Boyle pondered. "I think of Dianne Feinstein, who had a remarkable, trailblazing career, and yet those final few years, sadly and tragically, cast the shadow over decades worth of achievements. And I think that's heartbreaking."

Several other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who spoke with Fox News Digital said Congress as a whole does not have an age problem. Many conceded, however, that some of their colleagues held onto the job for too long.

"I don’t think Congress has an age problem necessarily," said Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla. "I think people don’t want to let go of power, so they end up sticking around for, I think, longer than what they probably should have."

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, similarly said, "I think vigor is the issue. I think there are a bunch of people who are not young, who are vigorous, and they’re popular, and they should keep doing what they’re doing. And there are others who maybe — not so much."

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Late Sen. Dianne Feinstein talks departs a Senate Judiciary business meeting at the Senate Dirksen Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 18, 2023. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., who is serving his first term in the House, said he trusted "the American people to make decisions" about their representatives.

"But I also think it's important for individuals to recognize when it is time for them to leave office and let go of their position," he said when asked about Norton’s example. "And clearly, there are many people here that hang on too long and should choose to exit the electoral and political arena."

Others, however, were firmer in their denials on age being an issue for Congress.

"Look, I think voters want people to show up and fight for their interests. And I think if people are willing to do that, for the American people, voters should consider if they’re the ones they want to show up," said Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla. "I mean, you know, age is a number. I think people, if they are showing up every day and doing their jobs, and the people think they’re effective at their jobs, they should keep them in office."

Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., warned against "engaging in ageism."

"We have to be very careful about assuming that someone who happens to be older isn’t as tough a fighter as anyone in caucus," Stanton said.

Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., pointed to lawmakers like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Reps. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., as high-performing figures despite their age. They served as the top three House Democrats in Congress until stepping aside in recent years for a younger trio of leaders.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks during Nancy Pelosi in conversation with Katie Couric at 92nd Street Y, New York, Oct. 24, 2024. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

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"I think it’s important for two sets of things — one is that members need to be honest with themselves, the other is that voters need to keep an eye on this, too," Ivey said. "But I mean, you know, when they say age is just a number — I mean, Clyburn, Pelosi, Hoyer, they’re all in their mid to late 80s … at least as far as I’ve seen, they’re all outstanding, still. So maybe they were better 30 years ago, but it’s hard to imagine how they could have been."

And Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., another first-term lawmaker, said it was not an issue he would consider for himself in the near future.

"At the end of the day, as long as I’m able to get up every day, and I have the energy to work for the folks in my district back at home, I’m going to take advantage of that blessing," Bell said. 

"I’ll start thinking about 20 years from now, about 19 years from now."