A popular critique holds that Congress is too old. The median age of members is 60, compared to just under 40 for the country’s population.
A corollary to this criticism is voters ought to elect energetic younger members who will bring fresh perspectives, new ideas and contemporary sensibilities to Capitol Hill. Such turnover is all well and good and, to an extent, occurs naturally as members die or abandon office in their golden years.
But not all leave willingly, nor should they. Everyone ages differently. The popular critique smacks of ageism, assuming all members of Congress of a certain age are feeble and a bit addled. Not every younger candidate is brimming with a coherent, fresh perspective.
Seth Moulton, at 47 already a member of the U.S. House, has been relentless in focusing on the difference in age between him and Sen. Ed Markey, who at 80 is one of the earliest Baby Boomers. Moulton wants to know what Markey will accomplish in a new term that he hasn’t during his 50 years in Congress, including his long service in the House.
What has Moulton accomplished in his dozen years in the House? What does he stand for? He is mostly known for what he is against — Nancy Pelosi as speaker, Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader and “male or formerly male” athletes running over his two daughters on a playing field.
Moulton claims credit for passing minor pieces of legislation. Aside from support for veterans as one himself, his other consistent attribute is political ambition — a momentary run for president in 2019 and now for Senate.
Markey, on the other hand, is an accomplished legislator of a progressive bent who has kept pace with the times. In his last campaign against an even younger Joseph Kennedy III, he attracted youthful voters with his embrace of the Green New Deal, which has not gotten through Congress.
But Markey has a decades-long record of passing legislation on energy, environmental protection, telecommunications and nuclear proliferation.
Five years ago, he authored the bill that made Juneteenth a national holiday, an annual reminder that slavery is behind enduring inequities that need to be addressed.
When candidate Markey visited the Banner’s office, he demonstrated vigor and clarity of mind that belie his 80 years. In his case, as they say, age appears to be just a number.
Markey says this would be his last six-year term in the Senate. The Banner editorial board judges him to be the better candidate as a seasoned legislator who gets major bills passed and possesses a consistent outlook suited to the early 21st century.
Ronald Mitchell
Editor and Publisher, Bay State Banner
