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When asking “do you support term limits for the U.S. Congress” to a proponent of such, their response is something like, “Does a bear defecate in the woods?” When the same question is posed to an opponent of term limits, there response is likely, “You can’t have a bunch of rookies running our government!”
Our Founders debated the same topic and term limits were even contained in America’s first governing document, the Articles of Confederation. But, they were excluded from the Constitution because the delegates could not agree on the length of service, and were skeptical of the idea of forced rotation vs. voluntary rotation.
The Federalist Papers also offered several pros and cons about term limits and tenure. Federalist No. 62 claimed that experience was essential to public service: “A good government implies two things; first, fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained.”
However, Federalist No. 53 warned that tenured representatives could thoroughly become the “masters of the public business, and perhaps not unwilling to avail themselves of those advantages.” But an inexperienced legislative body would be more apt will they be to fall into the snares that may be laid for them.
The Founding Fathers expected elected officials to serve temporarily and return to their communities, not to make it a career. Roger Sherman of Rhode Island, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, understood the risk of an entrenched Congress, and wrote, “Representatives ought to return home and mix with the people. By remaining at the seat of government, they would acquire the habits of the place, which might differ from those of their constituents.” The result will be a reinvigorated Congress, filled by members ready to serve and prepared to go home to live with the consequences of their actions.
In order to enact term limits to become the law of the land, we must use a valuable tool given to us by our Founders. Article V of the Constitution allows two means of amending the founding document. The first is through two-thirds of both houses of Congress approving an amendment. The second is for two-thirds of state legislatures to call a convention to pass an amendment. In either case, three-fourths of the states have to ratify a constitutional amendment.
The real serious opponents of term limits are incumbent politicians and the special interests – particularly labor unions, big business, big pharma etc. – that support them. Term limits minimize Members’ incentives for reelection-related “pork-barrel” legislation.
As government has grown larger, legislative careerism has become more prominent in Congress. Because long-tenured Congressmen have increasing power over the fate of federal projects due to the seniority system, senior members of both parties now routinely campaign by stressing their ability to bring federal projects to their home districts rather than by explaining their views on the important issues of the day. Incumbents also are given a large “war chest” for campaigning (free mailers, staff etc.), while challengers have to start from scratch.
There is a risk with term limits. They would provide more open seats but would leave unchanged all the mechanisms that parties and cronies (like Soros et al) use to win votes for Progressive candidates. Even with term limits, cronies’ funding; the parties’ contracted schedules; and the parties’ and cronies’ tactics would all remain in place. All these things would be applied to all the open seats. This would win seats for Progressive candidates in proportions much like now.
However, term limits will not address the larger problem of persistent big-government incursions of the unelected “fourth branch” of government: the vast federal bureaucracy. The true “permanent political class” exists in the federal agencies. A combination of the Civil Service Act of 1883, which, over time, has made it impossible to fire or remove career bureaucrats once they are hired. Thank God that Trump’s DOGE is addressing this.
One thing is certain, if Congress had term limits it would bring an end the stranglehold of career politicians and return power to the people. No longer will Congress be the most expensive nursing home in the country.
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
When a young person with no prior experience gets elected to a job that pays $17400 a year and in a short time is a millionaire(AOC). Then the system is broken. Serving the people should not be a pathway to wealth and member shouldn’t be there for life
I don’t believe they should receive a life time pension for serving four or eight years, you must serve 20 years in the military or other public service positions to qualify for a pension.
This has been kicked round for years but is never acted on. Trump in his 2nd term is showing daily what a waste this government does daily and continuesto recycle the same people daily because of no term limits. Both sides have baggage that needs to be replaced and going forward must keep those who produce for their constituents and the country to keep America from failing. Run the country like a business that does not accept the best results for its citizens. This takes a whole change top to bottom for thr foundation of future success. Thank Trump for taking the 2nd term. Better days and a real positive result will keep this country from decline. Dems don’t care about America, they have proven it time and time again.
In the past I wasn’t a fan of term limits. The older I get, the more that I see we need them. The corruption that happens when these people gets to DC is ridiculous. The insider trading, and how funding gets funneled back to them. It’s time to break this cycle.
We already have term limits, but voters are unwilling to use them. The problem is that everybody wants term limits for OTHER people’s corrupt politicians who waste money and vote for asinine policies, but not for their OWN corrupt politicians who waste money and vote for asinine policies.
There are likely some “cons” about doing this, I’m just not sure what they are. I am so outraged by what goes on in Washington D.C. I want every federal employee, all 3 million of ’em, to have job term limits. I’m sure you’ve heard all the news coming from DOGE including that the US govt. has “4.6M active credit cards/accounts which processed 90M unique transactions for $40B of spending in FY2024.” It’s almost a complete certainty that 90% of that is completely fraudulent. #(&*@^^*!! Reinstate tar and feathering I say!
Yes, better to not let evil get too entrenched, the company I work for shakes things up every few years by moving vice presidents and mid-level managers around to different divisions to not let unholy alliances and complacency develop. Former politicians should not be allowed to be lobbyist. And for that matter lobbying should be outlawed as well, let them send a letter or email like the rest of us taxpaying slobs have to, they should not have more influence with wining and dining our public servants, that is unfair to the rest of us!
I’m more for gerrymandering limits than term limits. (Yes, I’m looking at you Illinois and you North Carolina.)
Draw the U.S. House and the state legislative districts fairly and then let the voters pick their representatives rather than the representatives picking their voters.
I support term limits for all elected politicians. I also support term limits for all administrative bureaucrats. Many bureaucrats are as bad if not worse than the elected politicians. It’s time to bring back the “Statesman” and “Public Servant”. They think of doing the right thing for their country. Not the other way around. Thank you
Term limits will most likely require a Constitutional Amendment but it might be possible to do it through legislation, if the bill were worded just right. Ted Cruz and others have introduced such a bill, several times but it got nowhere. If the public demand for limits were loud enough, it could happen. We need term limits for the courts and bureaucrats, as well. The Founders never intended or expected “public servants” to make a career of government. They expected they would serve a term or two and then “return to private life and live under the laws they had created.”
Why are Senators elected for 6 and Congress members only 2 years? If we require the President to only 2 four year terms why shouldn’t the House and Senate be limited Similarly? Everyone should be limited, no retirement either! I think any Politician accepting money from a lobbyist should be immediately dismissed from office, that isn’t what they are elected for. It is disgraceful how Politicians in the parties hate each other today.and seems like they are ignoring the people’s want and are are just taking care of their personal “wants”.
I’m also for yearly audits of each and every elected officials bank records. I’m interested in how a job that pays a couple of hundred thousand a year leaves you a multimillionaire after 10 years or so. Many of these people are making literal fortune off of us.
Doubt it will happen but Americans should demand it. Too much corruption in both houses of congress.
If only LOBBYING was outlawed….we’d see less corruption in congress.
These politicians will find some way to scam, steal, and plunder from us, but the most audacious way will be blocked by not allowing lobbying.
No one is LOBBYING for us!
Also need to end lifetime retirement benefits.
Age limits, not term limits. If there’s a rare good one in office, they should be allowed to stay. It’s treasonous people like Dianne Feinstein, kissing up to China for decades, selling out California for her own family’s gain, then having to be wheeled around like cargo, that’s wrong.
Only as a ballot initiative where the voters decide. Not by Constitutional amendment or by laws from the Congress. Those will never happen..
What is the difference between the Constitutional Amendment and having Congress pass a law? Do we get to vote for an amendment? Either way I would think congress has to be involved and getting them to kill their golden egg is never going to happen.
This is a fallacy that it would make any difference. Trump signed an EO to support election integrity but it’s not enough. The Drats have unlimited money to rig any election they want. The 2022 Gubernatorial election in Arizona was rigged. Everybody thinks that mail in ballots are the ONLY way an election can be rigged. NO, IT ISN’T. The Drats can be very imaginative and it’s how they have slowly taken over, state after state in this union. Walz didn’t get elected by the people of Minnesota to be the governor. The idea is preposterous.
“Trump secured approximately 49.8% of the popular vote compared to Harris’s 48.34%.”
The notion that Harris got 48.34% of the popular vote is also ridiculous. Term limits is NOT going to defeat election fraud. If we could defeat election fraud in ALL of it’s various forms and possibilities then we wouldn’t need to discuss term limits.
Voting works if we have election integrity
Also no lifetime salary & medical benefits
Also term limits for Federal Judges.
The problem with term limits is representatives will constantly be on a learning curve and then the bureaucrats will really be in charge.
Term limits should line up that no congressman or senator should be able to serve more than 12-18 years. Maximum of 3 terms for Senator, 9 terms for congress. Long enough for a good person to be effective, short enough that nobody can make a career out of it.
The best would be to add to the Constitution but passing a law works too. However our self serving Congress will agree anything that bumps them out their careers. Way too many benefits at risk.
Absolutely, YES!! Sadly there are too many who have made a career out of allegedly serving “We, the people,” when in fact, they enter office as a public servant and suddenly become millionaires overnight!! The greed and corruption is rampant in the Swamp!!
Another thing would be to eliminate the congressional retirement plans. These positions were never intended to be a lifetime appointment, but after serving they should return to real life, like the rest of us!
Corruption and Fraud is at the root of our problem. And as the hearts of our people go, so will our society and government go.
Only an honest and courageous people will demand honest elections. Implement election integrity and I think most of this stuff would take care of itself and we wouldn’t need term limits. We didn’t have presidential term limits until 1951 – a reaction to FDR. I think this was a mistake.
There are problems like Lisa Murkowski – who pretends to be a “moderate” even as the left moves further left, and she moves left with it. But she’s really (or has become) a Democrat who remains in the Republican party because she cannot win Alaska without votes from republicans.
Murk was appointed to her senate seat by her father. She lost the primary to a tea-party candidate, but ran as a write-in and won with Dem votes. Now Alaska has rank choice voting, which allows her to be safe, no matter what republicans do, because Dems will still try to get their candidate in, but with rank choice, they’ll always have her as a fall back.
So, rank choice is an election integrity issue as well.
I think most of us in the MAGA movement could be characterized as JFK Democrats. We love our country, and we are not asking what our country can do for us, but what we can do for our country. We are not “far right.”
And so I come back to – our fight is for the heart and minds of people.
Not sure how this gets done? A sitting Congress is highly unlikely to vote themselves out if a job/policy makers.
Likely need a Constitutional Convention.
This should be done through constitutional amendment. If this is attempted by passing a law, a future administration could pass a law revoking the term-limits law. You must always approach such matters from the viewpoint of how the democrats might find a way around it.
Congress, dear friends of the union, is never going to limit itself in any way. Pay cuts? Making grifting illegal? Reducing perks? Spending limits? Reducing time spent in office? No way these things are going to fly.
Congress has NO accountability for much of anything and no one watching over them. They will never give that utopia up. Ever notice how the DC Swamp players change over the years and yet the corruption and fraud continues to escalate? Government is NEVER the answer to anyone’s needs or desperation.
Elected officials are term limited every 2, 4 or 6 years (House, President, Senate). If you want the person out office, DO YOUR JOB, vote them out. People complain about our elected officials, well who voted for them???? THE REAL PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY ARE THE UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS. I urge everybody watch the FOX interview of the highly qualified DOGE committee members that aired this past week, the problems were worse than I ever thought. Term limits will solve nothing. We will regret another Constitutional Amendment.
The options should be ok yeah, sure, yes, and hell yes. Congress will never pass a law against their own self-interest. Bad congress people are never voted out because they gain too much power the longer they stay. The only viable option is an amendment for a corrupt and broken system.
My preference is for a Constitutional Amendment to limit Congressional Terms of Service. However, I’d like to see a two-step approach – So we can get it done sooner, I’d like to see them pass a law. To completely codify it, I’d like to see a Constitutional Amendment. But this will take TIME.
Not only at the Federal but also the State. Most of these freeloaders not only are lucky to work half a year, but also have medical,retirement benifits that we can’t even afford with a similar pay scale. When pressed they will answer it’s by law! Well change the law! A lot of them even write books on their part time employment. They become millionaires also by doing activities that if we could do we would end up in jail! Have DOGE do a thorough investigation into their shenanigans! So hell yes term limits!
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What about considering a system whereby the ability to serve was broken up and not consecutive? I.e.: someone could serve two terms, for example, but then would have to bow out for one or two terms before being “eligible” to run again? This would allow the voters to re-elect people they liked again, after a period of non-service, and would mandate new blood in the interim. It would also disincentivize those only interested in an unimpeded path to wealth and influence.
My response to the question of whether there should be term limits is this: Will the elections be guaranteed as fair and transparent? If we have a completely fair, simple and transparent election system, then I put my trust in the voters to decide if a candidate deserves multiple terms. If we do not have such an election system, then this whole question is rather moot because it would not matter if there were term limits or not since corruption could (and often would) determine the “winners”.
Term limits is for the lazy. For those who will not invest their time to be involved in the goings on in politics. That is no reason to replace an otherwise ‘loyal to their constituents’ member. The organic response to term limits is eternal vigilance. Get involved! Develop new talent in case you need a primary. Do not let the lazy deprive you of the effective member. Term limits will cause more apathy and a false sense of security.
I have to admit that I waver on this question and many others such as age limits. One day it sounds great then I learn more about it and think, nope not a good idea. I look at some of our older congressional people and say, these guys are senile and need to go. Then I look at some of the younger ones and say, wow these people are nuts and a total danger to our country. So to me age limits aren’t the answer to our problems. Term limits i feel the same way. We have some really good ones who have been there for forever and some who should go.
My biggest concerns are the lobbyists, our ABC agencies, big pharmaceutical, big donors, etc. and their influences on our elected congressional people.
It’s always amazed me that canadates shell out millions to billions of dollars to win a seat in our government just to receive a salary of a little over $175,000.00. Then 2 years later they are multimillionaires. Then they want to tell us they’re not involved in anything illegal.This to me is a bigger issue than term limits or age limits.
The problem I see with term limits is that we will be supporting that many more retired legislators, since, after serving, they are supported for life with medical benefits. Benefits need to changed first. I worked, but never was given support and medical care for life when I left the job. The retirement benefits I did get I had to pay into and had to work a specific length of time–years.
I support term limits for Congress. However, does anyone seriously think Congress would vote themselves out of a job? If we want term limits for Congress, we have to do it ourselves before there is no way on earth Congress will do it.
The Constitution states Senate for a period of 6 yrs- unfortunately, there’s not a cap on how many 6 yr periods – 2 non – consecutive should be the limit. Congress has a 2 yr period – which isn’t long enough, with no cap on how many periods. – maybe change them to 3 yr period with max of 3 term. No one should stay in power in DC long enough to become filthy rich off the backdoor schemes that go on at our expense, or to become mentally, physically incompetent, & still there soaking up ill gotten gains, but not capable of actually contributing to the betterment of the nation. We need sharp, active minds – only of those who love our nation, believe in following the Constitution should be in Congress. No marxists, communist, socialist, or other ideology. What needs to be changed in our government, is removing anyone in power who doesn’t believe in our government, & wants to dismantle it. & Those drunk on power , only there devising ways to make themselves multi-millionaires, billionaires.
We already have term limits with the ballot box. Term limits run the risk of losing representatives/senators who has done a good job. People simply need to do more research before they vote, and not vote reflexively for an incumbent. Throwing the baby out with the bath water is never a viable strategy.
Definitely there should be term limits on all gov’t. service. Our past president was the perfect example, half a century in Washington and can anyone name anything of real importance or consequence that he accomplished other than fooling the people all of the time & being elected president?
The answer to corrupt politicians and misguided votes by Congress people is NOT term limits but educated voters. We need to thoroughly vet anyone running for office, especially incumbents by scrutinizing their voting records and who is funding them. Replacing one corrupt or lefty voting office holder thru term limits is likely to fill that seat with a clone. It would be a vicious cycle that would improve nothing.
I also do not want great legislators like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, John Kennedy, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Byron Donald’s, etc. to be term limited EVER!!!
6 terms for the US house of Representatives, and 2 terms for US Senate. Also stager the US House elections the same as the US house of Representatives, 1/3 every 2 years. I think this would be a better system.
Senate should be 4 Year terms and President for 6 Year terms’ so reversed, and all of Congress 3 term limits’ unless changing from House to Senate or to President and ( Vice President included ) also 3 terms per position of seat, that way a few Career Politician’s can seat 3 terms in House, then 3 terms in Senate, then 3 terms as Presidential !
Entire Election Process needs Constitutional Amendment to have East Coast and West Coast alignment of Vote Count timeframe, Real-ID forced on paper ballot that must be counted by a stipulated timeframe or discarded, as stated Not a Law making changes’ but a Constitutional Amendment locking in this and other Trump Executive Orders as Permanent !
Yes terms should be limited but you would think that people would be smart enough to know when someone isn’t capable of handling the position wouldn’t you?