For immediate release
December 2, 2024
Contact: Shanna Chamblee, U.S. Term Limits
schamblee@termlimits.org
VICTORY: North Carolina Legislature Passes Term Limits on Congress Resolution
Raleigh, NC – Today, the North Carolina Senate passed HJR151, a resolution applying for a national convention to propose term limits on Congress with a bipartisan vote of 29 yeas and 20 nays. The effort was led by thirty-one North Carolina State Representatives and twenty-six State Senators who cosponsored the resolution.
The application is officially heading to Congress to be counted towards the 34 state applications required to call a term limits convention. This success is part of a national, nonpartisan movement led by U.S. Term Limits to fight careerism in Washington, D.C.
North Carolina State Chair for U.S. Term Limits, Leigh Brown, commented on the victory saying, “This is an historic day for North Carolina and for the country. I am so proud to say that we’ve accomplished our goal to call for a convention for term limits on Congress. I’m so proud of the leadership we’ve seen in the North Carolina Legislature today on this important election reform.”
Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides states the authority to impose term limits on Congress without congressional approval. For the term limits amendment convention to be called, at total of 34 states must pass similar resolutions. Once a term limits amendment is proposed, it must be ratified by 38 states for it to be added to the U.S. Constitution. This process allows the states to completely bypass Congress.
The President of U.S. Term Limits, Philip Blumel said “Eighty-seven percent of Americans support term limits on Congress, including huge majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents. This is a rare, truly nonpartisan issue with national appeal.”
HJR151 was supported by both Democrats and Republicans and passed through both chambers of the North Carolina state legislature. While the state senate passed the resolution today, the state house passed it earlier in this session and, therefore, it was ordered enrolled.
“All of the sponsors and cosponsors have been an integral part of the victory in North Carolina. Their efforts helped put North Carolina at the forefront of states calling for term limits on Congress,” Blumel added. “The people demand term limits. That is why we passed four states in 2024 alone and look forward to passing more next legislative session.”
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U.S. Term Limits is the largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advocating solely on term limits. Our mission is to improve the quality of government with a citizen legislature that closely reflects its constituency and is responsive to the needs of the people it serves. USTL does not require a self-limit on individuals. Our aim is to limit the terms of all members of Congress as an institution. Find out more at termlimits.org.