Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, a Democrat from Washington's Third Congressional District, is pressing Congress to confront the problem of aging lawmakers. In a video posted Monday, she said: "In every job I've ever had, there's a simple expectation. You actually have to be able to do the work. Either you can do it or you can't. And Congress shouldn't be any different."

Gluesenkamp-Perez's push follows a failed amendment she introduced in May to the fiscal year 2027 Legislative Appropriations Bill. That amendment would have required the Office of Congressional Conduct to establish standards defining conduct that reflects poorly on the House, specifically addressing members' ability to perform their duties without being impeded by significant cognitive impairment. The measure failed on a voice vote.

The average age of a Congress member is now 59, making this among the oldest congresses in history, according to political analyst Michael McKenna.

Recent events have sharpened focus on the issue. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, died in office at 90 in 2023 after public questions about her cognitive state emerged as early as April 2022. More recently, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican age 84, was absent from the Senate for more than a month, prompting a GOP colleague to demand answers and call for term limits.

Gluesenkamp-Perez's push is drawing bipartisan support. Daniel Miressi, a Republican running for Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District seat, said he agreed with her. An influential right-wing social media account posted that mandatory cognitive testing for politicians would be "extremely based. We should've had this sooner."

Gluesenkamp-Perez was among the first Democrats to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race after his debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024.

Implementing such standards faces steep odds. Lawmakers are generally reluctant to formally assess their own or colleagues' mental competency, making the effort, as Gluesenkamp-Perez acknowledges, an uphill battle against an entrenched system.