Retiring Annie Kuster trying to set 'better example' for aging colleagues to exit Congress

Outgoing Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH) hopes her retirement will not only encourage a new generation of Democrats to come to Capitol Hill but also prod her fellow aging colleagues to step aside.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Kuster, 68, said she hopes she inspires some of her elderly lawmaker colleagues on both sides of the aisle to retire — a final parting shot as news of Rep. Kay Granger’s (R-TX) prolonged absence from House votes due to health problems capped off a year of concerns over Washington leaders’ age and mental acuity.