If the looming retirement of two congressmen from Northern Virginia — both decades-old fixtures in the commonwealth’s politics — reveals anything, it’s this: an ineffectiveness of government is sending a troubling message to the next generation of public servants.

Last December, U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, who has held Virginia’s 10th Congressional District seat for 33 years, startled constituents and Virginia politicos when he announced he would not seek an 18th term in 2014. A month later, his colleague across the aisle, U.S. Rep. James Moran (D-Va.-8th), followed suit.

“It’s time to close this chapter of my life and move on to the next challenge,” Moran, 68, said.

Certainly both men are entitled to retire after more than a half-century in Congress collectively, but their confounding, headline-grabbing departures drew questions first and disillusionment soon after. The legislators had given little, if any, indication they were considering hanging it up; they appear healthy and enthusiastic on the Hill and checking in on their districts, and they had little to worry about in terms of re-election. Moran hasn’t had a single-digit margin contest since he first won his House seat in the 1990 election, and Wolf has consistently won by 20 percent or more since 1984.

Yet both men are walking away from perhaps the most powerful legislative body in history. The overarching message stemming from their decisions has been this: If you’re interested in doing the most good in this world, Congress isn’t the place to do it.

“This is not a pleasant place to be right now,” Tom Davis, a former House colleague of both men and past National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, told D.C. journalist Bruce DePuyt in the wake of Wolf’s announcement. “Members are looking for other things.”

“There are at least five members who have come to me this year saying, ‘How do I get out of this place? What’s available on the outside? What do I do?’” Davis continued. “It’s a very frustrating place to be for people who are looking for something other than the title because just nothing is getting done.”

What kind of signal does this send to the next generation of prospective public servants? Is a career in civil service just not worth it? Why do two statesmen, men respected by their peers in the halls of Congress, believe they can be of greater benefit to society outside Washington? Does the U.S. government no longer stand for advancing opportunity, both within and outside our borders?

Congressman Wolf has long been a global champion for social justice and religious freedom. Throughout his career, he’s visited the war-torn and impoverished regions in Darfur, Ethiopia and Romania to serve as a beacon of American hope and liberty. Domestically, the Republican has led on legislation to combat human trafficking and gangs in Northern Virginia. He’s helped raise awareness and research for the regional health issue of Lyme Disease.

Perhaps most commendably, the Republican has never felt confined by the extreme faction of his party; for instance, he often belittles that pesky Grover Norquist Taxpayer Protection Pledge, saying the only pledges he is beholden to are those with his constituents and his wife.

Moran, meanwhile, has showcased an expansive progressive agenda during his tenure. He’s been an outspoken supporter of the LGBT community, pushed to raise the minimum wage and is a loyal advocate for President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

Last year, Moran lobbied for the closure of the U.S. detention base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“It’s inhumane to just hold someone prisoner until they die of old age,” Moran told the Loudoun (Va.) Times-Mirror. “Every day Guantanamo remains open, the reputation of the United States suffers worldwide and we continue to fuel our enemies with anti-American propaganda.”

Granted, some of their issues are hot-button items, but few political observers, if any, contend that Wolf and Moran are grandstanders or gasconaders. These Old Dominion lawmakers have drafted their proposals in line with their principles — principles not defined by rigid ideology or partisanship.

Reasonable and level-headed politicians like Wolf and Moran are dwindling, and that should alarm middle-of-the-road Americans.

Most of the Republicans looking to succeed Wolf and the Democrats vying for Moran’s seat pledge their support for similar belief-driven initiatives. The GOPers claim they will fight to see accountability in the Benghazi tragedy, a crusade of Wolf’s, and the Dems advocate for liberalism and growing the middle class.

But for how long? How long until partisanship trickles in and taints the eventual winners’ capacity to govern?

And will the next generation, soured by relentless inaction and empty rhetoric, care?

Trevor Baratko is a writer and Virginia News Group reporter based in Northern Virginia. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorBaratko.