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Age Limits for Congress? episode artwork

Oct 30, 2026 1 hr 5 min

Age Limits for Congress?

from Open to Debate Hosted by Open to Debate

Congress is getting older: 24 members are 80 or older. Yet with few exceptions, older incumbents have beaten back younger challengers in primary after primary. Critics warn that a gerontocracy is making Congress less functional and less representative of the people it serves. But a mandatory age cap smacks of ageism, and voters keep rewarding experience at the ballot box. As the midterms approach, we debate: age limits for Congress? Arguing Yes: Maya Kornberg, Senior Research Fellow and Manager of Elections & Government program at the Brennan Center for Justice Arguing No: S. Jay Olshansky, Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates After you’ve listened to the debate, let us know where you stand on the motion! VOTE HERE: ⁠https://bit.ly/OTDVOTE Vote before Thursday, November 5th at 5 pm ET. Results will be announced in our Substack newsletter so make sure to subscribe. Enjoyed this episode? Follow Open to Debate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to hear new episodes every week. Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more debates, highlights, and perspectives. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing live debates.

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This episode was published on October 30, 2026.

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