The Wary One

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The Wary One
The Wary One
Should there be an age limit for folks to serve in Congress?

Should there be an age limit for folks to serve in Congress?

Democratic member of Congress says "yes," others say "no"

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Bob Dunning
Aug 20, 2025
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The Wary One
The Wary One
Should there be an age limit for folks to serve in Congress?
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"This Democrat wants cognitive standards in Congress," said the headline in The New York Times.

"Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez says age-related cognitive decline among elected officials is a major issue for voters," added the sub-head over the story by Annie Karni.

Congresswoman Perez, out of the state of Washington, is not the first person to raise this ugly issue.

A woman in a business suit sits in front of a microphone and a nameplate that ends with “Perez.”
The issue Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wants to address is not new in Congress, where there are now more members than ever age 70 and older. Photo by Kenny Holston/The New York Times

But why does the test of cognitive decline have to be limited to the older members of Congress?

Are we not worried if a 45-year-old is exhibiting cognitive decline?

Is she saying she'd prefer J.D. Vance over Bernie Sanders?

I can tell you this, I'd rather have a stumbling 90-year-old who will vote to take care of the least among us than a brilliant 37-year-old who thinks it's fine to cut Medicaid and food assistance to give billionaires a tax break.

Adds The Times, "Last month Ms. Perez offered an amendment to a federal spending bill that aimed to create basic guidelines in Congress to ensure that members were able to do their jobs 'unimpeded by significant irreversible cognitive impairment.' "

Whatever that means.

Perez claims this is a major issue for voters, some of whom obviously show signs of cognitive decline given who landed in the White House the last time around.

Which makes me think maybe we should have cognitive decline tests for voters as well as for politicians.

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