Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls for mandatory retirement age for federal government leaders

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said this week that he wants a mandatory retirement age of 75 for people running the federal government.

Emanuel made the comments at two events in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday — a conversation with reporters hosted by The Christian Science Monitor, and an event primarily focused on education policy hosted by the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank.

The former mayor, 66, said rule should apply to all three branches of the federal government — including the president, members of Congress, and all judges.

Emanuel said he would include the rule as part of a greater effort toward ethics reform.

"I would include in it, across all three branches of government, 75 years, you're out. You're 75 years old? Done," Emanuel said. "And that would be in the legislative branch, it would be in the executive branch — including the cabinet. It would be also in the Supreme Court and all the federal courts. Up and out. And we can no longer look like a poor imitation of the Politburo."

Emanuel noted that such a rule would impact his own hopes of a presidential run, as he would be limited only to one term if he ran and were elected in 2028.

A number of other democracies require some public servants to retire at the age of 75.

Brazil requires all bureaucrats and judges to step down when they hit that age, and Canada has a similar rule for federal judges, as well as senators, who are unelected.

The U.K. also requires judges to step down at the age of 75.

However, none of those countries impose an age cap on elected officials.