This is an opinion column.

I hate to break it to you, but two of America’s most powerful leaders are on the fritz. President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are both in their 80s. It’s starting to show. To get anything done in American politics these days, both parties need to feel a little pain. Republicans and Democrats both have an age problem we need to address.

Let’s go ahead and get the excuses out of the way. McConnell is just a little hard of hearing. Biden has struggled with a stutter since his childhood. None of it is anything serious. We have reports of individuals who have spoken with each of them who can personally vouch for their vigor and coherence.

Stop it. Any American who has dealt with an aging parent or grandparent knows better.

Biden has been gaffe-prone since he was a senator. This is different. In recent months, his miscues have become more frequent and more concerning. He’s forgotten people’s names, slurred words, and even given speeches that make no sense.

McConnell, for his part, has frozen like a 90s video game twice in the last two months. I’m talking full stop. Lights are on, but nobody is home.

We need to seriously consider age limits in Congress. We shouldn’t keep senior citizens from public service, but can we at least take American life expectancy into consideration? Life expectancy in the United States is down a bit, but let’s round up to 78 years. That should be the bare minimum starting point for an age limit to run for federal office

Were that the case eight senators and 22 representatives currently in Congress would be ineligible in the next election.

Age is not just a number.

Cognitive decline is a natural part of aging. As we get older, our brains start to lose neurons and our ability to think quickly and clearly declines. This is why older adults are more likely to experience memory loss, confusion, and other problems processing information.

One study from Dr. Daniel Murman at the University of Nebraska Medical Center notes, “The most important changes in cognition with normal aging are declines in performance on cognitive tasks that require one to quickly process or transform information to make a decision, including measures of speed of processing, working memory, and executive cognitive function.”

That perfectly describes the job facing our federal elected officials. They’re encountering novel challenges which require them to manipulate information and make reasoned decisions quickly.

Follow the science. There’s a lot of it when it comes to cognitive function and advanced age.

We’re not even mentioning the physical limitations that come later in life. Again, we’ve all seen it with members of our own families. Do we really want to worry about simple falls being devastating for our most important leaders? Enemies around the globe would love to take out the American president. Those are real threats. A set of lengthy stairs shouldn’t be.

Yes, there are some candidates who seem to function at high levels even at the later stages of life. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are great examples. The problem is that most voters aren’t in close enough proximity to candidates on the ballot to make an informed decision about their mental and physical conditions.

More importantly, federal elected officials also mean jobs and influence for dozens if not hundreds of individuals who have a vested interest in keeping their boss or former boss in office. When I worked on the Hill, I witnessed the radical decline of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV). It was ghastly and embarrassing to watch him carted around while functionally incapable of doing his job. If examples of an elected official’s decline make a public appearance, you can bet they’re ten times worse when the cameras are off.

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has suggested cognitive examinations for federal politicians over the age of 75. Do we really want to know the Wonderlick test scores like we do for NFL players? I’m not sure how a voter is supposed to process Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) having the same score as Vince Young.

Our leaders are making decisions that affect the lives of millions of people. Some of them will undoubtedly impact us well after they’re gone. Americans must have leaders who are mentally sharp and capable of making sound decisions. Unfortunately, the most effective way to ensure that is an age limit.

While we’re waiting on age limits, we should hold our elected officials accountable. Is Mitch McConnell up to the job? Let him tell the American people rather than offering assuring phone calls to members of his caucus. If Biden is still doing well, let’s see him on a debate stage or another pressure situation that isn’t perfectly controlled.

Let’s stop ignoring the scientific realities of aging. We should believe our own eyes, ears, and experience. That demands a serious conversation about age limits in Congress and expecting our leaders to provide assurances they’re fit to execute the tasks for which we’ve elected them.

More Cameron Smith columns:

Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. He’s a partner in Triptych Media, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to [email protected] or @DCameronSmith on Twitter.