The average age of a person living in the United States is about 39 years old. Yet the
average age of a person serving in Congress is 58 years,
almost two decades older.This is especially alarming given that so many of the most important political issues of our time - including climate change - disproportionately impact young people. These groups of constituents deserve a seat at the table, and term limits could give them that.
Sign now if you believe that our government should be representative, and that Congress should have term limits!Other important legislative positions, such as governors and presidents, have
term limits. So why are Senators and Representatives allowed to be indefinitely re-elected?
There is nothing wrong with older people serving in our legislatures... within reason. But the
recent death of 90-year-old Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) after repeated public displays of cognitive decline, as well as
81-year-old Senator Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) several incidents of freezing - speechless and immobile - in front of the press call our current system into question.
The current age of retirement in the U.S. is 67 years old. But right now, 19 members of Congress aren't just above
that age threshold - they're also
over 80 years old.Right now, the government
does limit lawmakers' eligibility to enter office based on age - requiring Senators to be at least 30 years old, and Representatives to be aged 25 years or older. But why is there no upper limit?
Young folks deserve a shot to govern, too. And no term limits for the Senate or House of Representatives make it much harder for new, young legislators to break into office.
Incumbents are overwhelmingly likely to be re-elected, even if they are not very popular or do not have a high approval rating.
This is one of many reasons why term limits could help make our Congress more representative of the actual American population! Sign the petition now to tell Congress: the time for term limits is now!