Congressional Term Limits

[nels96]

Wake up America!...before we are ruled by a permanently tenured Congress

PROPOSED
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR
CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS

(and the many reasons why it is needed)

Special Wording (note first 14 words): Excepting current incumbents of both houses indefinitely, as long as they are reelected successively, members of the Senate shall serve a maximum of twelve years (two terms), and members of the House shall serve a maximum of six years (three terms). Fractional terms not included herein.

REASONS IN FAVOR OF TERM LIMITS:
1. Builds ‘citizen’ Congress vs career politicians.
2. Breaks ties to special interests, lobbyists.
3. Destroys seniority/enhances meritocracy.
4. Improves timeliness of Congress’s thinking.
5. Eliminates power of ‘old bulls’ caucus.
6. Introduces fresh thinking, new ideas.
7. Improves tendency to vote on principle.
8. Reduces power of staff, bureaucracy.
9. Increases competition among candidates.
10. Acts as a natural campaign finance reform.
11. Improves the quality of legislation.
12. Probably tends to smaller government.
13. Overwhelming public favor vs political opposition.
14. Returns incumbent reelection to 50% vs 90% now.

REASONS OPPOSED TO TERM LIMITS:
1. Eliminates the good along with the bad.(Long tenures spoils the “good”)
2. Reduces the freedom of voters to choose.(Long tenures is NOT choosing)
3. Increases the power of staff, bureaucracy.(Citizen reps will control this)
4. Loss of knowledge and experience.(Outsider experience is just as important)


I would appreciate responses, ideas, suggestions.
nels96@pacbell.net

[damnrad]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (nels96,)
Wake up America!...before we are ruled by a permanently tenured Congress

PROPOSED
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR
CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS

(and the many reasons why it is needed)

Special Wording (note first 14 words): Excepting current incumbents of both houses indefinitely, as long as they are reelected successively, members of the Senate shall serve a maximum of twelve years (two terms), and members of the House shall serve a maximum of six years (three terms). Fractional terms not included herein.

REASONS IN FAVOR OF TERM LIMITS:
1. Builds ‘citizen’ Congress vs career politicians.
2. Breaks ties to special interests, lobbyists.
3. Destroys seniority/enhances meritocracy.
4. Improves timeliness of Congress’s thinking.
5. Eliminates power of ‘old bulls’ caucus.
6. Introduces fresh thinking, new ideas.
7. Improves tendency to vote on principle.
8. Reduces power of staff, bureaucracy.
9. Increases competition among candidates.
10. Acts as a natural campaign finance reform.
11. Improves the quality of legislation.
12. Probably tends to smaller government.
13. Overwhelming public favor vs political opposition.
14. Returns incumbent reelection to 50% vs 90% now.

REASONS OPPOSED TO TERM LIMITS:
1. Eliminates the good along with the bad.(Long tenures spoils the “good”)
2. Reduces the freedom of voters to choose.(Long tenures is NOT choosing)
3. Increases the power of staff, bureaucracy.(Citizen reps will control this)
4. Loss of knowledge and experience.(Outsider experience is just as important)


I would appreciate responses, ideas, suggestions.
nels96@pacbell.net<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

I will oppose this anti-democratic trash in any way that I can. But then, Congress is not about to propose this as an amendment, anyway.

[eburchelli]

I think the FFs had a citizen's government in mind. But right off, it was a political plum to get into Congress. It's the one failing of our system of government that makes career politicans out of mostly white men, who are unfit to do any real work wherever they are.

[Texas Lynn]

I'm against term limits. We already have them. It's called "when you don't think your rep is serving your interests, vote him or her out".

When this came out as part of the Gingrichoid nonsense of 1994, I knew the Republicans would never go for it once they got a majority and reasonable hope of maintaining it. When the Democrats controlled Congress with what seemed to be a permanent majority (1955-1995) the Republicans wanted to term-limit the Dems-it didn't matter about their reps, they were an all-but-permanent minority anyway. They didn't want Blacks like John Conyers to be committee chairs.

Now, given the realities of campaign finance, the Republicans have an all-but-permanent majority. But still term limits is a bad idea. The people have a right to elect who they want, even if they want to continue to re-elect senile codgers like Strom Thurmond.

[eburchelli]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (Texas Lynn,)
I'm against term limits. We already have them. It's called "when you don't think your rep is serving your interests, vote him or her out".<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

That's not how it works, though. The incumbent has more resources (places and people to get money from to run his next campaign), than the newbie wanting to unseat him. An existing congressmen has the backing of other members of Congress to give him more leverage than the newbie. And he has learned how to play dirty while serving his time in office. Something the newbie hasn't learned about yet.

Term limits would work to keep graft and pork out of politics and lessen the power that is derived from Congressmen doing things for some people for personal gain. Six years maximun for Senators, and 2 two year terms for Representatives sounds about right. This way there would be the likely chance that a lot of ordinary people could serve their country honestly and competently, and then go back to their chosen careers. Rather than making a career out of being a Congressman.

[mooseboy84]

i think term limits are anti democratic. i could make the argument that they would make things worst, since a politcian doesnt care about being relected doesnt have any incentive not to sign a big pork budget that he personally [or at least his constituants] can bennifet from.