Rahm Emanuel urges a mandatory federal retirement age of 75

Rahm Emanuel, a prominent Democrat and former Chicago mayor and ambassador to Japan, on Wednesday called for a mandatory retirement age of 75 for the president, cabinet officials, members of Congress and federal judges during remarks at the Center for American Progress in Washington.

"Across all three branches of government, 75 years — youre out," Mr. Emanuel said as he outlined a proposal for sweeping ethics changes, adding that "when youre 75, you cant do that in the military, you cant do it in corporate America, you should not be in government at all. Thank you for your service, up and out." He is 66 and has signaled a desire to run for president in 2028; he acknowledged the age cap would in theory bar him from serving a second term, writing in a text message, "You can count," when asked if the limit would apply to him.

Mr. Emanuel framed the proposal as part of an anti-corruption push, saying, "Whether you have Supreme Court justices taking gifts or members of Congress stock trading or whats going on in the executive branch, not only with the members but their families  clean it up, because its the first step." He advanced the idea in response to a question from Neera Tanden about the Democratic agenda for this years midterms and has been active in trying to shape the partys direction.

Key Topics

Politics, Rahm Emanuel, Washington, Congress, Supreme Court, Neera Tanden