It is quite a dichotomy.  The Government of the United States seems to pass many laws that work against the needs and desires of the population of senior citizens.  Yet many of those Senators and Representatives, one-third in fact, are senior citizens themselves.  Have they become so disconnected with the trappings of “real life” that they are voting against their own population demographic?

 The Senate historian says the average age for a senator is 60.3 years, the oldest ever and up six years from 1985. Thirty-seven are at least 65, 19 of whom are in their 70s. Five are in their 80.
Reuters

Although opinions vary widely on the effectiveness of these senior Senators, it is generally agreed that, like driving, ability to function in a job should not be determined by age.  But how do you determine whether or not a Senator is still able to meet the demands of the job?  Without term limits, a Senator who is well-liked, through reputation, may be in the elected position for life. 

It brings up two questions:

• Why do they stay?
• Why have they lost touch with the general population of senior citizens in the U.S.?

“In most cases, it’s because they have a safe seat and public service ethic,” James Thurber, of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington, said. “A cynical view would be they can’t do anything else or find it uncomfortable to leave the stage.”

Considering the perks it is easy to see the answer to both questions.  Senators earn $165,200 annually and of course they have a health insurance plan that most of us can only dream of.  They do have, albeit unused, great retirement benefits as well.  What is the motivation to leave?  But shouldn’t they be called on the carpet for ignoring the needs of the other, less well-off seniors?

Perhaps the continual re-election of these Senators is just tradition.  A voter gets into the polls and is pressured by time; there is always a line behind waiting to vote and subconciously voters feel rushed.  They vote for many people because they have always been in that office and since the world hasn’t fallen apart, perhaps it is the best vote to make.  Perhaps it is, but it may be more important to look at what is actually happening in the “World’s Most Exclusive Club,” and see if that vote is in the interest of the people.

Senate Packed With Senior Citizens