(LibertySociety.com) – A vast majority of Americans support term limits for members of Congress. What are the benefits, and how can “We the People” help accomplish this feat?
Although the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two four-year terms, there aren’t any term limits for Congress members. Members of the House of Representatives can serve an unlimited number of two-year terms. Senators serve for six years instead.
The longest-serving members of Congress were both Democrats: Rep. John Dingell Jr., who served in the House for 59 years, and the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, who served for more than 51 years before leaving his post.
Enacting term limits could provide several benefits:
- Counterbalancing advantages to incumbent members of Congress;
- Ensuring regular Congressional turnover;
- Preventing lawmakers from amassing too much power;
- Providing incentives for members of Congress to spend more time on their job and less on campaigning;
- Stopping endless money-raising efforts.
How “We the People” Can Term Limit Congress
Several states attempted to pass term limit statutes in the early 1990s. The US Supreme Court officially blocked efforts in 1995, ruling that states lacked the authority to limit the terms of federally-elected Representatives and Senators.
There are several ways you can support those efforts.
- Directly support the campaigns of politicians supporting those efforts;
- Call or write your elected officials and ask for their support for the passage of a Constitutional amendment;
- Help US Term Limits and other grassroots organizations who are assisting Cruz and DeSantis in their efforts;
- Simply raise awareness about the potential benefits of term limits.
Voting for people who support term limits is the best way to accomplish this feat. Be sure you know where the candidates in your area stand on the issue and exercise your right to vote in every election.
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