Senate packed with senior-citizen senators

[Martrae]

Jun 16, 9:58 AM (ET)
By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate, dubbed "the world's most exclusive club," is also one of the most elderly, with more than a third of its 100 members at or well past 65 with no plans to leave anytime soon.

While most elderly Americans are retiring, senior senators still wield considerable power, tackling tough issues from war to taxes, some more effectively than others.

"Some of these old people are probably wonderfully wise and some of them, maybe, should have retired a long time ago," said Stephen Hess, a congressional scholar at the Brookings Institution.

A recent survey of experts declared six of the oldest senators as among the chamber's 10 "best," while three of the oldest were among the five "worst."

Senior senators walk -- some shuffle -- the marble halls of power, packing political muscle and legislative know-how as well as a few joint replacements and hearing aids.

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.

The word Senate derives from the Latin senex, meaning old man. The Senate, or council of elders, was a powerful body in ancient Rome.

At 88, Democrat Robert Byrd of West Virginia is the oldest U.S. senator. He walks with two canes yet remains one of the most respected voices in Congress.

"If I could live another 100 years, I'd like to continue in the Senate," said Byrd, running for an unprecedented ninth six-year term.

First elected in 1958, Byrd became the longest-serving senator this month, passing South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who retired in 2003 at 100, which made him the oldest senator in the 217-year history of the clubby chamber.

Thurmond, while a powerhouse much of his career, seldom joined Senate debates in his final years and used a wheelchair and relied heavily on aides. He died soon after retiring.

'SOME STAYED TOO LONG'

"History documents that some stayed too long," said Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, still vigorous at 79. "I don't want to be remembered that way."

"I wake up every morning delighted to be on this side of the grass," Warner added.

Dr. Jan Busby-Whitehead, chief of geriatric medicine at the University of North Carolina and a member of the American Geriatrics Society, noted Americans overall were living and working longer.

Those who stay on the job can provide experience and maturity but are also more prone to memory loss and other illnesses.

"The criteria for employment shouldn't be age, but ability. Not everyone ages the same way," Busby-Whitehead said.

In the Senate, old age cuts across party lines and perceived effectiveness.

Time magazine had experts rate senators in its April 24 edition and included six senior citizens among its "10 best senators": Democrats Edward Kennedy, 74, of Massachusetts and Carl Levin, 71, of Michigan, along with Republicans Arlen Specter, 76, of Pennsylvania, Richard Lugar, 74, of Indiana, John McCain, 69, of Arizona, and Thad Cochran, 68, of Mississippi.

Among Time's "five worst" were two older Republicans, Conrad Burns, 71, of Montana and Jim Bunning, 74, of Kentucky, and Democrat Daniel Akaka, 81, of Hawaii.

Why do so many stay in the Senate so late in life?

James Thurber of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University in Washington said reasons varied with each senator.

"In most cases, it's because they have a safe seat and public service ethic," Thurber said. "A cynical view would be they can't do anything else or find it uncomfortable to leave the stage."

In the past decade, nearly 90 percent of senators who ran for re-election won. They are paid $165,200 a year and enjoy generous health and retirement benefits.

Last year, Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, now 73, said he was stepping down. "It was not my ambition to stay there until they carried me out."

But 10 of the 29 senators running for re-election this year are at least 70. Life expectancy for someone that age is about 14 years.

"There's a lot to do," said Kennedy, the dean of Senate liberals, first elected in 1962.

[The Kizzy]

I should run for Senate.

[Phlegm]

I should run for Senate.

You're too young.

[The Kizzy]

I'm in my 30's

[Phlegm]

You need to be a senior citizen to be a senator.

[Thon]

there really needs to be term limits for the senate, house, and every other political position out there.

[Arlos]

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, as I can see the benefits, but to change it, you'll need to amend the constitution. Since, barring enough states getting together to demand a constitutional convention on the issue, such a amendment would have to go through congress itself... Somehow, I don't thinkthey're too likely to vote in any amendment that would lessen their power.

-Arlos

[dammuzis]

actually some states do have term limits on sentators on their own

personally ted kennedy should of been put out to pasture 30 years ago

[Martrae]

Ohio has term limits. Only problem is they go back and forth between the House and the Senate when they hit the limit.

[Harrison]

ted kennedy should of been put out to pasture 30 years ago

[Captain Insano]

actually some states do have term limits on sentators on their own

personally ted kennedy should of been put out to pasture 30 years ago

all the kennedy's should have been put out to pasture, and then shot in the back of the head.