Term limits would remind members of Congress that they work for the people, not the other way around.
by Glenn Jacobs, Mayor of Knox County Tennessee
When Congress first moved to term-limit the presidency in 1947, President Harry Truman wrote a note endorsing what would become the 22nd Amendment. But Truman added a suggestion. He also believed Congress should have term limits. As Truman put it, “Twelve years of Washington is enough for any man.”
Today, we suffer the consequences of ignoring Truman’s advice. The citizen legislature in Washington that the Framers envisioned has mutated into a permanent political class where members drift loose from the moorings of their home district to take advantage of the perks and privileges of power. A career spent wallowing in the D.C. swamp has caused far too many lawmakers to forget why they were elected to begin with.
As a result, Washington has become synonymous with fiscal mismanagement, dysfunction and distrust. Congress has buried us under $28 trillion of debt. Meanwhile, members of the U.S. House and Senate have an abysmal 11% approval rating, while still boasting a preposterously high 95% reelection rate. These aren’t signs of a healthy and well-functioning republic. They are signs of a very broken system.
For these reasons, it is time to adopt congressional term limits. The idea is woven into the American experiment; Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams all supported it. Today, it is the most popular and bipartisan issue in our country, with 82% support from the public. That includes support from 89% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats and 83% of independent voters.
Term limits would remind members of Congress that they work for the people, not the other way around. It would also encourage fresh thinking by bringing in new and diverse perspectives from people who have real-world experience outside the D.C. bubble.
Congress, unlike most other elected offices in America, is a full-time and highly-paid political career. That fact alone underscores the need for congressional term limits.
I am under no illusions that Congress will propose term limits on itself. That would be like children agreeing to set their own bedtime. It’ll never happen. But thankfully, the framers of our great Constitution gave us another path forward.
Under Article V of the Constitution, state legislators have the power to call a single-issue convention for a constitutional amendment. In this case, we can use this constitutionally delegated power to propose term limits for Congress.
What’s the process?
For this to occur, 34 state legislatures are required to pass resolutions saying they want an amendment convention to discuss term limits for Congress. Once that happens, delegates from the states meet and discuss what the proper term limits for Congress should be. The convention then decides upon a proposed amendment, which goes to the states for approval. Once the required 38 state legislatures ratify the proposal, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution itself.
The best part? Nobody in the Washington swamp can stop it. The Framers created the convention process specifically to help bypass the self-interest of Congress.
Action taken in Tennessee
Here in Tennessee, Rep. Chris Todd has introduced HJR8, adding Tennessee to the list of states calling for a Congressional Term Limits Convention. To become effective, the bill must pass both the Tennessee state House and state Senate.
For the sake of our republic, I hope you will join me in supporting this effort to help make term limits for Congress a reality.