What are some pros and cons of limiting the number of terms a Congressman can serve?

[suplex3000]

As some of you may know, a bill was recently proposed to limit the number of terms a Congressman can serve. What are some of the potential pros and cons of this? Here is the page for the bill of govtrack.com.Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve. 2013 113th Congress H.J.Res. 41 - GovTrack.us

 

[there4eyeM]

Cons:
Professional lobbyists would have a tougher job.
Ex-lawmakers would have fewer juicy job offers after-terms.
Professional politicians might have to get real jobs after terms.

Pros:
all the above

 

[RetiredGySgt]

It would take an amendment to the Constitution to limit terms in the US Congress. Possibly in most States as well. A bill won't do it at least not for the US Congress.

 

[Statistikhengst]

We already have term-limits. They are called:

ELECTIONS.

 

[Defiant1]

As some of you may know, a bill was recently proposed to limit the number of terms a Congressman can serve. What are some of the potential pros and cons of this? Here is the page for the bill of govtrack.com.Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve. 2013 113th Congress H.J.Res. 41 - GovTrack.us

Huge con: it limits the freedom of the people to vote for who they want.

 

[Auld Phart]

As far as I'm concerned, these Congressmen spent far too long in DC

U.S. Senate Longest Serving Senators

An just how competent could the one that turned 100 in office have been?
Or any of the ones that passed 90?

 

[suplex3000]

Cons: -Makes congressmen even more concerned about making good contacts in industry so they can land a good job after their run is over.
-I could see a politician who is about to reach his term limit vote for things his constituents would not want because he is not concerned with reellection.

 

[Auld Phart]

Cons: -Makes congressmen even more concerned about making good contacts in industry so they can land a good job after their run is over.
-I could see a politician who is about to reach his term limit vote for things his constituents would not want because he is not concerned with reellection.

then why dont' we elect them for life?

No worries about them taking off time for reelection campaigning, etc

 

[ChrisL]

I am a supporter of term limits for all elected officials. They should probably be able to run again at some point in the future, but not be serving so many consecutive terms. I read an article once written by a politician who says that the longer a politician stays in his elected position, the more corrupt he becomes.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

As some of you may know, a bill was recently proposed to limit the number of terms a Congressman can serve. What are some of the potential pros and cons of this? Here is the page for the bill of govtrack.com.Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to limiting the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve. 2013 113th Congress H.J.Res. 41 - GovTrack.us

Pro: 1 longer single term eliminates responding to polls, ensures 'public servants' serve and don't approach the office as a career doing whatever it takes to remain there indefinitely, reduces but doesn't eliminate likelyhood of corruption (if you have to run for re=election you have to kiss a lot of ass.)

Cons: none

 

[jwoodie]

Con: Longer serving House members may need to spend less time selling influence/grubbing for money.

Solution: Make House terms four years. Maximum 12 years (same for Senators)?

 

[imawhosure]

Most people who run for the 1st time run for the correct reasons. As they become ingrained in Washington as an elite, they lose all sense of reality. They are like professional athletes, and all the lobbyists are trying to offer them something. Just think..................what % of professional athletes would you want in congress? They BOTH have the same attitude.

And, you have the real ELITES as the majority whip, speaker of the house, senate majority/minority leader, who tells them how to vote, or they don't get any cash for re-election.

So yes, term limits are a very good idea.

Just think.........besides a D or R in front of their name, what does Harry Reid, Mitch Mconnell, Nancy Pelosi, John Mcain, or that 85 year old senator from Kansas (forgot his name) have in common with you? NOTHING! They have more in common with each other, that being they are all RICH, lol. Hell, Hillary Clinton hasn't driven a car in 25 years. (look it up if you do not believe me) She has been driven around that long!

This is why we need term limits. None of these people reside in REAL America, know our problems, what we face, or what we want. They just use "buzzwords" trying to trip our trigger to get re-elected and hold power.

 

[konradv]

I don't like the idea of being told for whom I'm allowed to vote. If you want to limit the power of incumbency and the corruption brought about by constantly having to raise campaign funds, support public financing of elections.