Why is the 118th Congress so old?
As the US Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell freezes mid-question for a second time in weeks during a press conference, questions come to mind about the age, cognitive strength, and capabilities of America’s 118th Congress. There have been repeated calls and pressure building for McConnell to resign, particularly as his apparent ill-health has worsened.
The United States Congress, based in the US Capitol of Washington D.C. acts as the legislature of the federal government. It consists of both the lower body - the House of Representatives and an upper body, the Senate. As the members of the 118th Congress took office in January 2023, we examine its members’ age demographics and those expected to represent the American people. Notwithstanding, Joe Biden, 80, is the oldest person to ever hold the White House.
The Average Age of Congress:
Surprisingly, the average age of this current Congress is three years younger than the previous, sitting at 58 years old. Although this suggests that Congress members are getting younger, their average age still remains consideringly older than the Americans they are supposed to represent. As the National Median Age in the US is 38.9 years according to the US Census Bureau.
The average age of the Senate sits at 64 years old, with the most represented age groups being 60-69 and 70-79 years old. The average age of the House of Representatives sits slightly younger at 57 years old. Notably, the oldest members of Congress are Dianne Feinstein (Democratic Senator) aged 90, Chuck Grassley (Republican Senator) aged 89, and Grace Napolitano (Democratic House Member) aged 86.
It is also important to note the youngest members, with the first Gen Z member of Congress, Maxwell Frost (Democratic US Representative), aged 26, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democratic US Representative) aged 33, and Anna Paulina Luna (Republican US Representative) aged 34.
Impacts of an Older Congress:
While Congress might be getting slightly younger, the recent public health battles of both Mitch McConnell and Dianne Feinstein in the middle of voting on the Congress floor or during press conferences are still saddening and alarming. Additionally, it raises questions of not only their cognitive abilities but their capability to vote on behalf of Americans. With Gen Z only representing 0.2% of the House and 0% of the Senate while Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation (born between 1928-45) represent 73% of the Senate and 49.8% of the House, diversity of age may need to be a bigger focus.
Beyond the age of Congress failing to mirror the wider diversity of the US population, it may have significant impacts on both political and economic policy. Without age diversity, it could create a ‘gerontocracies’ effect, whereby older voters and Congress members can realise their own material interests at the expense of the younger generations’ interests, as they maintain a far larger percentage of the vote in Congress. As a result, impacts of this can include, as mentioned, greater senior power, the increasing development of the anti-government New Right, and a larger focus on public policies regarding health care, housing, and income support. Conversely, they are less likely to endorse climate-related and environmental policies or other policies that may benefit younger age groups. Finding a solution to this generation war and growing age gap in Congress is essential so that all Americans are represented and supported at the government level.
Sources:
https://fiscalnote.com/blog/how-old-118th-congress
https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/OlderPeople_inClimateAction_briefing_18032021.pdf
