Term Limits for The House and Senate

[Common Sense]

IMHO i think a great way to keep our representatives and senators in check would be to impose term limits on their service. We current do this for the president (max 2 - 4 year terms) why is this done for congress.

look at this:

currently the longest tenured representative is John Dingell (D - Michigan) he has been serving for 51 years

the longest tenured Senator is Robert Byrd (D - WV) at 52 years

top 10 list

Robert Byrd (H,S) 57 years, 176 days
Carl Hayden (H,S) 56 years, 319 days
John Dingell (H) 54 years, 355 days
Jamie L. Whitten (H) 53 years, 60 days
Daniel Inouye (H,S) 51 years, 104 days
Carl Vinson (H) 50 years, 61 days
Emanuel Celler (H) 49 years, 305 days
Sam Rayburn (H) 48 years, 257 days
Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I) 48 years, 0 days
Sidney R. Yates (H,I) 48 years, 0 days

really? does someone who has been in congress longer than many people have been alive really represent the people?

I think a reasonable term would be the following:

Senate (3 terms for a total of 18 years)
House (3 terms for a total of 12 years)

Senate and House Combined (4 Terms or a total of 20 years combined)

is this unreasonable?

 

[uscitizen]

If the american voters were not so stupit we would not need even discuss term limits.
Why try and fix our stupidity with a law?

 

[American Horse]

I think a reasonable term would be the following:

Senate (3 terms for a total of 18 years)
House (3 terms for a total of 12 years)

Senate and House Combined (4 Terms or a total of 20 years combined)

is this unreasonable?

In March 1995, and as a direct result of the Contract With America, the Republicans proposed and brought before the house a bill for a constitutional amendment for two 6 year terms for the senate, and six 2 year terms for house members. It did not get the 2/3rd vote required for a constituional amendment.

"In 2007, Professor Larry J. Sabato revived the debate over term limits by arguing in A More Perfect Constitution that the success and popularity of term limits at the state level suggests that they should be adopted at the federal level as well. He specifically put forth the idea of congressional term limits and suggested a national constitutional convention be used to accomplish the amendment, since the Congress would be unlikely to propose and adopt any amendment that limits its own power."

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Once again for the slow. It would require a Constitutional Amendment to term limit Congress.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

IMHO i think a great way to keep our representatives and senators in check would be to impose term limits on their service. We current do this for the president (max 2 - 4 year terms) why is this done for congress.

look at this:

currently the longest tenured representative is John Dingell (D - Michigan) he has been serving for 51 years

the longest tenured Senator is Robert Byrd (D - WV) at 52 years

top 10 list

Robert Byrd (H,S) 57 years, 176 days
Carl Hayden (H,S) 56 years, 319 days
John Dingell (H) 54 years, 355 days
Jamie L. Whitten (H) 53 years, 60 days
Daniel Inouye (H,S) 51 years, 104 days
Carl Vinson (H) 50 years, 61 days
Emanuel Celler (H) 49 years, 305 days
Sam Rayburn (H) 48 years, 257 days
Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I) 48 years, 0 days
Sidney R. Yates (H,I) 48 years, 0 days

really? does someone who has been in congress longer than many people have been alive really represent the people?

I think a reasonable term would be the following:

Senate (3 terms for a total of 18 years)
House (3 terms for a total of 12 years)

Senate and House Combined (4 Terms or a total of 20 years combined)

is this unreasonable?

What universe do you live in? It isn't the same one as rdean, because his universe elects the house every two years, like ours.

 

[uscitizen]

Some of you people do not get it do you?

Why would we need term limits? Vote the bums out.

We need a constitutional amendment to cover for our stupidity?

 

[MajinLink]

Term limits do nothing. Garbage in, Garbage out

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Term limits are a fundamentally sensible idea, and I'd favor them to be even more restrictive than other proposals: basically senators would be limited to a single term, with the possibility of re-election after sitting out at least one term; representatives would be limited to two terms (4 years), with possibility of re-election after sitting out at least two terms (4 years).

Something like that would keep fresh blood flowing more continually (or fresh garbage, at least), while still maintaining an "incentive" to do well (if such a thing exist). It's obvious that incumbent congresspeople have a huge statistical advantage, and usually because they can always amass more patronage to distribute and more pork with which to lure corporate dollars [and this because they live in Washington with the lobbyists and not at their district with the people they're supposed to represent]. Term limits at least attempt to keep the political class on their toes, it keeps them thinking in the long term and without such the heavy focus of elections EVERY 1.5 years for Reps or 5.5 years for Sens.

 

[Toome]

Some of you people do not get it do you?

Why would we need term limits? Vote the bums out.

We need a constitutional amendment to cover for our stupidity?

Exactly!

House representatives serve two years while Senators serve six years. It's the voter who decides if they serve longer.

I think the system is good the way it is. You need continuity in government, and Congress is the backbone of our governing system. It's just a matter of voters being smart about who they let run the system.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

We need a constitutional amendment to cover for our stupidity?

Given the state of the government today, it would appear so.

 

[Common Sense]

IMHO i think a great way to keep our representatives and senators in check would be to impose term limits on their service. We current do this for the president (max 2 - 4 year terms) why is this done for congress.

look at this:

currently the longest tenured representative is John Dingell (D - Michigan) he has been serving for 51 years

the longest tenured Senator is Robert Byrd (D - WV) at 52 years

top 10 list

Robert Byrd (H,S) 57 years, 176 days
Carl Hayden (H,S) 56 years, 319 days
John Dingell (H) 54 years, 355 days
Jamie L. Whitten (H) 53 years, 60 days
Daniel Inouye (H,S) 51 years, 104 days
Carl Vinson (H) 50 years, 61 days
Emanuel Celler (H) 49 years, 305 days
Sam Rayburn (H) 48 years, 257 days
Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I) 48 years, 0 days
Sidney R. Yates (H,I) 48 years, 0 days

really? does someone who has been in congress longer than many people have been alive really represent the people?

I think a reasonable term would be the following:

Senate (3 terms for a total of 18 years)
House (3 terms for a total of 12 years)

Senate and House Combined (4 Terms or a total of 20 years combined)

is this unreasonable?

What universe do you live in? It isn't the same one as rdean, because his universe elects the house every two years, like ours.

what the hell does this have to do with anything? i simply asked the opinion of everyone on their idea of term limits?

and apparently some "Republicans" agree:
Senators would get 2 terms and Representatives 3.

GOP senators push for term limits - CNN

and yes the entire house of representatives is up for reelection every two years:

"Representatives and Delegates serve for two-year terms, while the Resident Commissioner serves for four years." - (United States House of Representatives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

"The House of Representatives, often referred to as just "The House", is the lower chamber of Congress in which representatives of each state in the union gather. There are 435 voting members of the House, and each serves two year terms." (United States House of Representatives - Conservapedia)

"The House is the lower of the two legislative bodies in the U.S. government. It has 435 members, with the number of representatives per state dependent upon that state's population. House members serve two-year terms. Rather than represent their entire state, as Senate members do, they represent a specific district. This tends to give House members a closer link to their constituents-and more accountability, since they have but two years to satisfy voters before having to run for re-election." (About the U.S. House of Representatives)

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Once again it REQUIRES a Constitutional Amendment to limit the House and Senate. Just like it required a Constitutional Amendment to limit the Presidents term.

 

[Common Sense]

Once again it REQUIRES a Constitutional Amendment to limit the House and Senate. Just like it required a Constitutional Amendment to limit the Presidents term.

ummmm yes we understand that, that is not what this thread is about. i dont want to debate the process of doing this, i wanted opinions of if people agreed or disagreed with it.

 

[Sallow]

There are term limits.

They are called "elections".

If anyone has any problem with outcomes..maybe it's time to look into gerrymandering. Both sides do it and it insures that the same people get elected all the time.

 

[Bill Angel]

Federal judges enjoy lifetime tenure.
If a Congressmen exhibits signs of senility, he would (hopefully) be expected to be voted out of office.
(I'm not certain that's always true though)

How about pushing for a maximum length of service or a mandatory retirement age for Federal judges?

 

[Common Sense]

Federal judges enjoy lifetime tenure.
If a Congressmen exhibits signs of senility, he would (hopefully) be expected to be voted out of office.
(I'm not certain that's always true though)

How about pushing for a maximum length of service or a mandatory retirement age for Federal judges?

true, but federal judges are not publicly elected officials. this is so that they are not required to pander to one group or another. it also allows them to be more objective when it comes to interpreting laws. (a true debatable point though)

i cant agree that putting terms limits on judges is good idea since they are all appointed. this takes away from the power of the president to nominate and congress to confirm all judges. i think that process is still overall a good one that we use. i think the idea of having a mandatory retirement age is good in theory, although i also believe that judges overall have had a good history of stepping down at correct times.

again being that judges are not elected by the public and dont campaign to hold their positions, terms limits would not necessarily apply.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

I am OPPOSED to mandatory term limits. That includes for President. The people elected their representatives and that election process is the only TERM limit needed. Repeal the Presidential term limit amendment.

 

[jillian]

If the american voters were not so stupit we would not need even discuss term limits.
Why try and fix our stupidity with a law?

if you don't like your representative, don't vote for him or her.

term limits are like saying "stop me before i vote again".

i'm happy with my reps. why would i want anyone telling me i can't vote for them?

 

[jillian]

I am OPPOSED to mandatory term limits. That includes for President. The people elected their representatives and that election process is the only TERM limit needed. Repeal the Presidential term limit amendment.

I agree.

 

[Ozmar]

If the american voters were not so stupit we would not need even discuss term limits.
Why try and fix our stupidity with a law?

I agree. Let's do away with presidential term limits!