Our elders need to respect us, too

By The Editorial Board Once the words “president,” “senator” and “representative” get thrown around, another descriptor often follows: “too old.” How often do we have to confront the effects of age in our government? At the national level alone, it seems members in each branch and in the bureaucracy have long overstayed their welcome. A poll conducted by NPR in May found that eight in 10 Americans vouch for imposing direct “age caps” on veteran members of Congress. The reason why is simple: both parties’ highest-ranking officials have overstayed their welcome. Mitch McConnell, the senior Republican Senator from Kentucky, suffered a fall earlier this year, which led to a three-month absence from the Senate floor. Posts on X from Nov. 8 show the 84-year-old Senator unresponsive when asked about Republicans’ upcoming loss of both Congressional majorities come 2027. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat and former senior Senator from California, died during her sixth term in office on Sept.

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