If there is one consistent trait among career politicians in Washington, it is their perpetual refusal to listen to the American people. Despite talking a big game as “defenders of democracy,” our Congress is one of the least democratic institutions in the world. Its members exploit the powers of incumbency to cruise to victory in phony elections, to the tune of a 98% re-election rate. They intentionally deter competition through duplicitous means, then arrogantly declare “we don’t need term limits because we have elections.” Of course, the American people see right through this hoax. That’s why more than 85 percent of Americans – regardless of party — support term limits for Congress. Make no mistake: it is undemocratic and wrong for Congress to refuse to pass the term limits that their constituents demand.
This same principle also applies to term limits for the Supreme Court. It’s an idea that founding father Thomas Jefferson once advocated. Many states, including Florida, where U.S. Term Limits is based, have mandatory retirement for judges. Judicial term limits act as a safeguard against cognitive decline as well as judicial activism. It would ensure that the much-loathed confirmation hearings became orderly, predictable and less political. It would also deter any future president from attempting to pack the Court. Polls show that 70 percent of Americans, including majorities of people who identify with both the Democratic and Republican parties, favor Supreme Court term limits.
We call on congressional leaders in both parties to start listening to the public again. A constitutional amendment imposing term limits on politicians AND judges would be the most unifying piece of legislation in modern American history. In this era of hyper-partisan warfare, it is needed more than ever.