1-vote victory for Trump's big bill inflames Democratic clash over aging leaders

WASHINGTON — When House Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax and spending package on a party-line vote of 215-214, some Democrats couldn’t help but notice that three safe blue seats in their ranks were empty after those lawmakers recently died in their 70s.

WASHINGTON — When House Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax and spending package on a party-line vote of 215-214, some Democrats couldn’t help but notice that three safe blue seats in their ranks were empty after those lawmakers recently died in their 70s.

“Imagine if one of the older and sicker Dems would’ve retired instead of died in office and what that would’ve meant for millions of people,” Rebecca Katz, a consultant who has advised successful Democratic Senate candidates in two swing states over the last three years, said on X.

Even as some Democrats conceded the GOP bill may ultimately have passed anyway, the moment quickly reignited an intraparty debate about gerontocracy and aging politicians clinging to power — or seeking promotions — while they show signs of decline or battle grave health issues. The clash has been fueled by an ongoing reckoning over then-President Joe Biden’s 2023 decision to run for re-election before dropping out after a disastrous June 2024 debate in which the 81-year-old incumbent struggled to craft sentences.

The cascade of events has bolstered a generational argument, once limited to a narrow group of young progressives, that is now gaining traction inside the Democratic Party, including among seasoned party operatives who say the sentiment is growing.

“You get accused of ageism when you start having this conversation sometimes. But it’s like, look at an actuarial table,” said Mike Nellis, a veteran Democratic strategist who has worked as an adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris. “It is a fair criticism to say that we need people to walk away. We need people to know when it’s your moment to go off into the sunset.”