Term Limits in the Congress
Over the last twenty years, term limits has been one of the most widely debated issues
across the nation. The term limits movement single out career politicians, who are more
concerning on getting re-elected than serving their constituents. This is the most interesting
and debated politic idea since the 1990s but it did not originate with politicians; it is directed at
them. Most elected officials continue to oppose this movement, especially when a concrete
proposal is made in their state.
The real reasons why members of the congress oppose term limits are often far more
personal. According to the former Rep. Bill Frunze of Minnesota, “Congress has become a
professional legislature, where members come early, stay late, and die with their boots on”.
Another former member of Congress and leader of the term limits organization recounts that
one day when he was at a shopping center, he was approached by the a terrified congressman’s
wife that demanded that he had to stop the term limits campaign and that her husband was
not prepared to do anything else and accused him of trying to take his husband’s job away. The
career of that particular congressman was cut short, but not because of the term limits; he
retired after it was discovered that he had written hundreds of bad checks.
Another example it is the case of Republican Congressman from Michigan, Bob Davis,
who was forced to retired in 1992 after it was revealed that he had written 878 bad checks at
the House Bank. One week before he announced his retirement he called up Matt Wirgau, a
GOP politic activist, to talk about his decision. During the call, Wirgau noticed that Davis was in
such emotional wreck. Davis told Wirgau “Politics is the only thing I know how to do,” he also
said “I do not know what I can possible do after leaving Congress? Do you know what I was
doing before going into politics? A mortician! I cannot go back to that!” Those examples
illustrates that many members of the Congress view their job as a part of a politic career and
the best they can aspire. The founding parents believed that Congressmen should have a
vocation in the large outside world. They knew that many Americans wanted to perform with
their civic duties as American citizen but after of a time they would want forget about politics
and continue with their own business or profession of living. This could be for most people to
center their life around in raising a family, build a career, being active in church and social
groups, and in self-improving, and not being obsessed with politics and govern other people’s
lives.
When American democracy was being formed, many of its founders, including Benjamin
Franklin, James Madison, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, supported congressional term
limits, “to prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom by continuing too long
in office the members of the Continental Congress,” as Jefferson wrote.
The recommendations were not included in the Constitution because the founder
fathers view a traditional of rotation forming. Voluntary term limit were part of the American
political for hundred years. The ideal politician was someone who served a few terms and went
home, probably to run for another office after of some experience with everyday life. At the
time of the civil war, less of 2 percent of the house served more than 12 years. Today in the
Congress, 34 percent of members have spent more than twelve years in office, and many have
been committee chairmen for that long.
Today, the only way for an outsider to get elected is to wait until a holder of a seat
decides to quit or is forced to retire. But even when this position becomes available; it is easier
for a former member of the congress to get elected again than a new unknown candidate.
There are many reasons that support term limits movement:
-Overwhelmingly, voters prefer term limits. This is the most powerful reason that supports this
issue because voters instinctively know that term limits is better for voters than unlimited term.
In the 23 states that have the initiative process (where voters can petition to place issues on the
ballot), 21 states have voted for and won statewide term limits.
-Choice, Americans are limited in their choices for Congressional leaders. Limiting terms would
allow more candidates to run for office, offering more choices to votes. Seniority system is now
place in Congress discourage truly talented individuals from running for office because even
they can win, they would have to wait many years before they get recognition for their bills or a
seat in a good committed.
-Unfair advantages, incumbents have too great of an advantage over competitors. Nearly 95%
of incumbents win subsequent elections. Incumbents are generally exposed through the print
and electronic media as well preferential treatment whenever they go as they have some
authority.
-Higher campaign funds. On average, Congressional incumbents spend four times more on
election campaigns than new candidates. Politic action committees (PAC) give overwhelming
support and the majority of their money to incumbents, or those who are in office and are
running for reelection. According to Sheila Krumholz, acting executive director of the center for
Responsive Politics, in the 2004 election “a challenger who spent less than a million dollars
technically had zero chance of winning.”
-Corruption. Term limits will give less time to members of the Congress to develop financial
benefits from special interest groups and in specially with deep-pocketed lobbyists who have
no ties to constituents. A general consensus exist since time of the founding parents that stated
that when people have power, will eventually be corrupted by it. If congressmen have term
limits in Congress their power will be also limited. Candidates will be more likely to run for
purpose of serving the people, and they have to leave office before corruption dominates their
decisions.
The American Politician, Newt Gingrich included a Constitutional amendment to limit
politicians to 12 years in both the house and the senate in his 1994 Contract with America. But
it was one plank of the contract that even Gingrich could not get support in the house; it failed
227 to 204 votes. A constitutional Amendment requires a two-term majority (at the time 290
votes were needed) plus a two-third in the senate and it must be ratified by two-third of the
states-making any changes to the current system in the near future very hard.
According to a CNN poll conducted in mid-February, 2010, 62 % of Americans say most
members of congress do not deserved re-lection, up 10 points from 2006. The discontent of the
population with their representatives in Congress is greater today than it has been in the least
one decade and a half. The discontent is a consequence of the inability that congressman had
shown in their accuracy to solve problems that American people face.
Although opponents to term limit have attended to create mass movement to fight
Term Limit, they have been unsuccessful because of Term Limit widespread popularity. The
only serious opponents of Term Limit are incumbent politicians and their special interest. As of
2012 there are no term limits in Congress but eight of the ten largest cities in America adopted
term limits for their city councils and/or mayors and 37 states place term limit constitutional
offices.
The Senator Jim DeMint introduced an Amendment that if passed would place three
term in the U.S House of Representatives and two Term on the U.S Senate. On February 2, of
this year the Senate rejected this amendment that supported Term Limit on members of
Congress. It was soundly rejected 24-75 votes. “We assure Americans that we are here to serve
them and not ourselves,” The Senator Jim DeMint said prior to the voted.
In response to Jim DeMint propose, The Assisting Majority Leader Dick Durbin argued
that it ought to be left to voters, and not lawmakers to decide how long each member serves.
He also said that for some members of Congress two years in office is too long and some
members of Congress twenty years is not long enough; it was convenient for him said that
because Durbin is serving his third six year Term in the Senate.
A study by the Congressional research report found that currently in the 111 th Congress,
we have two members who have served fifty years or more , four members serving in the forty
years range, five serving in the thirty years range and a handful of members who are serving
twenty years. While that the amendment 22 of the Constitution place Term limit for the chief
executive, there is not term Limits for Congressmen.
It is necessary to place Term Limits in elected officials; negatives consequences as
corruption acts result when leaders are in power for many years. Also when a congressman
stays in office for many years, he or she sees the position in office as part of a politic career that
it will develop only if they continue in the Congress. Also when Congressmen are in office
without a Term Limits, he or she will be less responsive to people’s concerns. They will worry
more in their own interest as get reelected instead of working for American people interest.
Term Limits will increase voter choice by making elections more competitive and encouraging
more candidates to run. The Term Limit is the best option in a democratic goverment.
Works Cited
Fund, James K. Coyne and John H. Cleaning House. Washington,DC: Regnery Gateway, 1992.
Hubert, David. Introduction to U.S National Goverment. 2011.
Ryan, Josiach. "Senate rejects term limit in 24-75 vote." The Hill 02 February 2012.
www.termlimits.org. 2010.