Today's Daily Caller reports that South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint has introduced an amendment to the U. S. Constitution that would limit the terms of Senators and Representatives in Congress. He suggests three terms for Representatives and two terms for Senators. The purpose of the amendment is to prevent the kind of power base building we have seen in Washington that has made it almost impossible to enact any serious reform.
The article quotes Senator DeMint:
"We need true citizen legislators who spend their time defending the consitution, not currying favor with lobbyists. We need new leaders continually coming to Congress to ensure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely, not wasted on Washington special interests. We must end the era of permanent politicians that has lead us to a $14 trillion debt and a pending fiscal crisis."
To amend the Constitution, two-thirds of Congress has to pass the amendment and 75 percent of the states have to vote for it.
Senator DeMint concludes:
"Let me be clear that term limits will only succeed when the same rules apply to everyone. Self-term limits are a recipe for self-defeat, as the career politicians simply wait out the true reformers. We must have term limits for all or term limits won't succeed."
I think this is a wonderful idea.
Leave a comment