Term limits have been debated for decades among voters and elected officials, and many question whether such a change in the U.S. political landscape is even possible. It’s going up.
A September 2023 poll found that a majority of adults (87%) support term limits for each member of Congress.
of Pew Research Center survey We also found that term limits are about equally popular with both Republicans and Democrats. Of those surveyed, 90% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they supported it. Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters largely agreed, with 86% agreeing with limits on how long members can serve in any body of Congress.
Despite the polling data, the bill, introduced last year by Rep. Ralph Norman (RS.C.), was “voted” by the House committee to which it was referred, preventing it from being voted on in the full House. .
How withdrawal from parliament will shape the 2024 election
A September 2023 poll found that a majority of adults (87%) support term limits for each member of Congress. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
The bill is HJRes.11the proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution would limit the terms of office for members of the House of Representatives to three terms, totaling six years, and for senators, to two terms, totaling 12 years.
The measure was referred to the House Judiciary Committee shortly after its introduction in January 2023. It wasn’t until eight months later, in September 2023, that the bill was considered in committee and rejected by all four Republicans and all Democrats who served on the committee.In total, this measure 17 “yes” and 19 “no”.
Fox News Digital reports that four House Republicans voted against the bill: Rep. Darrell Issa of California, Rep. Tom McClintock of California, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, and Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming. Members of Congress) in an attempt to better understand the rationale behind their decisions. , that differed greatly from the opinion of his Republican colleagues on the committee.
Hageman, who has been representing Wyoming’s large congressional district since 2023 after defeating former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney in the red state’s 2022 Republican primary, said he would “force” lawmakers to leave their districts. ” He said he voted against the bill because he disagrees with the idea of exclusion. Post. She argued that it depends on voters showing up at polling stations.
“Didn’t we learn from the Democrats’ stunt against President Trump that undemocratically removing candidates from the ballot for arbitrary reasons is a terrible idea? Term limits deny voters the choices they want. ,” Hageman said. “And at a time when unelected career federal bureaucrats are wielding more power than ever before, using regulations to pursue radical, left-wing, and environmentally extremist agendas, why should I? Will they forcibly remove knowledgeable members of Congress to make them even more powerful?” ”
“We call it an election, but we already have term limits and the House of Representatives has elections every two years,” she added. “If you look at the seats I currently hold for the people of Wyoming, you can see that I can change horses at any time if voters are dissatisfied. “I always clearly explain why I oppose term limits. Voters know where I stand.”
Four House Republicans, from left to right, Rep. Tom McClintock of California, Rep. Darrell Issa of California, Rep. Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin, proposed term limits last fall. voted against. (Getty Images)
Like Mr. Hageman, Mr. Fitzgerald claimed he has maintained “the same position on term limits” since he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1994. Fitzgerald said elected officials “are held accountable every time their names appear on the ballot.” Ballot paper. ”
“In the House of Commons, members are elected to two-year terms, which ensures that representation is always aligned with the constituency,” he added.
Issa and McClintock did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment regarding the September 2023 vote on the bill.
However, McClintock voiced his opposition to term limits at a Judiciary Committee meeting after voting against the Norman amendment. McClintock said he disagrees with limiting the terms of members of Congress after seeing how the California Legislature worked after enacting term limits in the 1990s.
“I left Congress in 1992, when term limits still had no practical impact on members, and returned four years later when they were in full and complete effect. And the difference I observed was It was totally unpleasant. They accomplished the opposite of what they intended.” mcclintock said at that time.
House Republicans raise age limits for president and members of Congress
Norman said “four members on the Democratic side” had “different answers” as to why they voted against the bill.
“Some people said they didn’t like his third and second terms, three six-year terms in the House. [two terms for] “I was in the Senate for 12 years and other people just said no,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we have to do something about the people who come to Congress and don’t go home and are just living under these horrible bills that are being passed. No,” he added.
“We’re talking about people who come to Congress and don’t go home and just survive, and people who are living under a disastrous bill that’s about to be passed,” Congressman Ralph Norman told FOX News Digital. Something has to be done.” (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Term limits also faced opposition from Republicans, which Norman found “disappointing,” but the South Carolina Republican told Fox that he would like to see similar restrictions if a new president is elected. He said he plans to introduce a bill.
Mr Norman acknowledged that his future proposal would be a “tough order” for lawmakers, adding: “I would like to take this proposal back and talk to the four law enforcement officials who were against it and see if we can’t do that.” I’m going to see it,” he said. get two-thirds of the votes [in the House]. ”
Norman reaffirmed his commitment to the issue, saying, “We’re going to try again, and it’s going to involve the executive branch. That means the president is going to push this forward and this is going to be an important vote.” I hope,” he added.
“What’s disgusting is that we have candidates on both sides, Democratic and Republican, who are campaigning with term limits,” Norman said. “Their position is that they come to serve for a short period of time and then go home. That’s not really happening.”
Norman noted that some members of the House of Representatives have “been here for more than 20 years” and that the Senate “could be akin to a nursing home,” adding that members “reach a certain age and are in Congress.” When a certain period of time is reached, [they] I have to go home. ”
Norman also said he believes Americans have a right to know who supports and opposes term limits before the full House votes on bills like his.
“It’s important for Americans to know who is voting against term limits or for term limits. This is a very important vote to emphasize to the American people. “This is an 80-20 issue, 80% of the people support it.” “We have term limits, but 20% don’t. They want to know the consequences if they vote against this type of bill.” I know,” he said.
“I’m optimistic that this will be resolved quickly with a new president,” Norman concluded.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who voted in favor of the Norman amendment on the Judiciary Committee last September, said most politicians are “just talking” when it comes to term limits. He said he believed it.
Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) said she believes most politicians are “all talk” when it comes to term limits. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Unfortunately, with the enormous growth of the federal government, our Constitution has been distorted since our founding,” he said. “Therefore, term limits should be considered as one of the solutions. However, most politicians are too talkative and afraid to put their money where their mouth is, so term limits legislation is conveniently It was rejected by the committee.”
Lawmakers previously tried to impose term limits on federal members. 1995 Congress, but the proposal fell short by 61 votes and failed to pass the House. An amendment proposed at the time would have limited the terms of office for members of the House of Representatives to six terms, and for senators to two terms, to 12 years in either chamber.
