The Case for Term Limits in Congress

In a poll conducted,  Americans were asked about their respect for the people in charge of their major institutions, Congress consistently comes out next to the bottom. Only law firms as a group came out lower. They were the only group that the poll identified as more unpopular than Congress.
Louis Harris and Associates, "Confidence in Institutions" poll, 1966-1993.)

In a series of articles over the next few days we will outline Why Congress Needs Term Limits as well as the Common Arguments Against Term Limits.  Then we will have an article exploring if Term Limits Are Constitutional.  Then you will be able to sign a petition for term limits if you so agree.

The only serious opponents of term limits are incumbent politicians and the special interests particularly labor unions that support them.

It is clear that special interests do not believe term limits will help them. Among the major contributors to an anti-term limits campaign in Michigan, for instance, were Chrysler Corporation, Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Michigan, Michigan Bell Telephone Company, Detroit Edison Company, Southern California Edison Company, The Coastal Corporation, Kellogg Company, USX Corporation, and Pacific Telesis Group

Their unlikely allies were a coalition of unions, such as the Teamsters, the United Auto Workers, the Michigan Education Association, and the AFL-CIO, who rely on specific forms of government intervention in labor markets. All these groups' efforts were coordinated by Debbie Dingell, wife of Michigan Democrat and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell.

Special interests oppose term limits because they do not want to lose their valuable investments in incumbent legislators. Many are organized to extract programs, subsidies, and regulations from the federal government -- to use the law, in other words, as a lever to benefit their own constituencies or harm their rivals.

For a little history lesson on term limits…..taken from Wiki

Historically, term limits have figured most prominently in the executive branch of the U.S. government. While the Constitution did not originally mandate limits for the office of the presidency, George Washington, the first president (1789-1797), started the tradition of self-imposed limits by serving only two terms. The precedent was followed for 144 years, until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for and won a third term in 1940 (he would eventually win a fourth).

In 1951, Congress passed and 41 states ratified the Twenty-Second Amendment, which forbade any citizen from being elected president more than twice (or once if he/she had previously served more than 2 years of another presidential term).

In Congress, however, no tradition or statute regarding term limits has prevailed since the ratification of the Constitution. During the American Revolution, delegates to the Continental Congress were limited to three one-year terms over a period of six years under the Articles of Confederation. When Rhode Island defied the rule, however, Congress dropped the issue. In the years leading up to the Constitutional Convention, the Founding Fathers were divided over the principle of “rotation in office,” as congressional term limits were then called. Washington and Thomas Jefferson favored it, while James Madison and Alexander Hamilton opposed it.

Ultimately, term limits were excluded from the Constitution.  Until the Civil War, there was little reason for term limits to become an issue, as few members of Congress chose to serve more than two terms. This began to change as Congress organized permanent committees, which were chaired by the members with the most seniority.

With the incentive to increase their power in Congress, many members began serving for longer periods of time. By the twentieth century, it was not uncommon for service in the House or Senate to be one’s primary career. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) holds the record for time in the Senate; having been first elected in 1958 and continuing through today.  Other long term members are:

  Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) – First elected in 1962.
  Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) – First elected in 1962. 
  Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) – First elected in 1970 served until 2008.
  
 In the House, Jamie Whitten (D-Miss.) holds the record for the longest service in the House, having spent slightly over 53 years in the chamber. He is followed by Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), who was first elected in 1955 and has continued to serve and in February 2009 he became the longest serving member in the US House of Representatives.

America, is it possible after 50+ years to be an effective member of Congress? Is a member capable of getting out to their constituents and listening to them about their needs.  Would fresh new faces bring about more positive change?
What say you America? We want to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
In tomorrows article we will outline Why Congress Needs Term Limits…

Join with us America to protect your rights and your country.  We are ready to defend our rights and tell the truth the elitists Democrats, Republicans, and mainstream media won’t tell you.  Comment here and email us at YourVoice@speaknowconservatives.org. Help us and be part of bringing our Great Christian country back.

Source- Heritage.org