A proposal by Democratic Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez to confront cognitive decline in Congress has found rare common ground among liberals and conservatives frustrated with Washington’s aging political class. The congresswoman proposed an amendment to the FY27 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill that would have required the Office of Congressional Conduct to develop a standard for what constitutes conduct that does not reflect creditably upon the House, as it relates to a Member of Congress’s ability to perform the duties of office unimpeded by significant irreversible cognitive impairment.

Reactions and Criticisms

Reactions on social media indicate that Gluesenkamp Perez may have allies on the other side of the aisle. Some on the right lamented that Republicans weren’t focusing on issues like this. The debate has frequently cited the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose health and reported cognitive decline became a source of concern for Democrats before her death in 2023.

Gluesenkamp Perez has criticized the consequences of an aging political class — particularly lawmakers remaining in office despite cognitive decline — for some time. In 2025, she argued that members who were too old to hold office refusing to retire damaged public confidence in Congress.

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