United for Term Limits: Democrats and Republicans Agree State Lawmakers Have a Responsibility to Lead and to Be the Change
U.S. Representative Jared Golden and State Senator Rick Bennett discuss the responsibility state lawmakers have to bring forth new leadership in the U.S. Congress. Under the Constitution, state legislators have a unique ability to make the change needed to facilitate the rotation of lawmakers in Congress. Find out more by watching this insightful political dialog.
Rep. Golden: “Working hard for something good to represent people in your community and getting there always like bright-eyed and excited to go get things done and then running into a brick wall. They know that this change is needed. And I guess to my colleagues, I would just say go with your gut and just push for that change. It would be a historical thing to be a part of and would be the right thing to do for the country.”
Kenn Quinn: If you wouldn’t mind, maybe speaking to your colleagues nationally at the state level and then nationally at the congressional level, why should they get behind this for the American people.
Sen. Bennett: Yeah. I would say join us. I mean, only through state action in state legislatures across this glorious nation, are we gonna actually get this needed change. It’s gonna… We need to lead at the local level, at the state level. And so, I know people when you’re… They serve in state legislatures as I do, they’re focused on a lot of other issues, not fixing Congress necessarily. But we all have a responsibility for it. And under the constitution, legislators have a unique ability to make this change and to force it, this change. And so that we really ought to lean into that.
Rep. Golden: I would suggest that the majority of people that get to Congress end up feeling that frustration the way it used to be in the Maine state legislature. The frustration that comes with working hard for something good to represent people in your community and getting there always like bright-eyed and excited to go get things done. And then running into a brick wall of consolidated, entrenched power depressive people.
I think people are very optimistic when they decide to serve in Congress, but often it can be a pretty depressing lot. Like instinctually they know what the polls tell them about how the American people feel about our politics and about our Congress. And so they know for themselves that this change is needed, but they doubt that it can happen. And so a congress finding the kind of will and having the hope that we could actually do big things is what it would take.
And I guess to my colleagues, I would just say go with your gut and just push for that change. There’s something more out there for me beyond public service in Congress is what I believe. And that’s confirmed by the number of colleagues of mine who have moved on either themselves or lost races and taken the time to shoot me a note and say, “I’m having a really good time [laughter] with my family, or doing the next thing or getting back to what I was doing.” And I don’t want to belittle again, like how incredible an opportunity and an honor it is to do it, but it would be a historical thing to be a part of and would be the right thing to do for the country.