Republican lawmakers Ted Cruz and Ralph Norman renew push for Congressional term limits

Sections

Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Ralph Norman have introduced joint resolutions in the Senate and House to impose term limits on federal lawmakers, aiming to cap the tenure of House members at three two-year terms and Senate members at two six-year terms.

The proposed amendment, which has broad public support (87 percent of Americans according to Pew Research), faces significant legislative challenges. It requires two-thirds support in the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.

Supporters argue that term limits will reduce corruption, increase accountability and bring fresh perspectives to Congress. Critics, such as Rep. Harriet Hageman, contend that elections already serve as term limits and that institutional experience is valuable.

The debate over term limits dates back to the 1995 Supreme Court ruling in U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton. Since then, advocacy groups like U.S. Term Limits (USTL) have worked to advance the cause through both congressional action and state-led efforts under Article V of the Constitution.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) have reignited a long-standing debate over congressional term limits, introducing joint resolutions in the Senate and House that seek to cap the tenure of federal lawmakers.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which enjoys broad public support but faces significant legislative hurdles, would limit House members to three two-year terms and Senate members to two six-year terms. Terms served before the amendment's ratification would not count toward the limits, a provision allowing Cruz, who began his third Senate term this year, to remain eligible for re-election.

The push for term limits comes amid growing frustration with what critics describe as a broken and entrenched political system.

"With the evident abuse of power that has taken place in Congress, the notion of term limits is basic common sense," Norman said in an emailed statement. Cruz echoed this sentiment, framing the effort as a return to the vision of the Founding Fathers. "They envisioned a government of citizen legislators who would serve for a few years and return home, not a government run by a small group of special interests and lifelong, permanently entrenched politicians," he said.

To become law, the proposed amendment must secure two-thirds support in the House and Senate and be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures. While the idea has garnered bipartisan backing among voters – 87 percent of Americans support congressional term limits, according to a Pew Research poll – it has repeatedly stalled in Congress. Cruz's 2023 version of the bill failed to advance out of committee. Norman's House resolution was narrowly defeated in the House Judiciary Committee by a 17-19 vote, with four Republicans joining Democrats to block it.

Among the dissenters was Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), who argued that elections already serve as a form of term limits.

"We already have term limits, although we call them elections, and in the House, we have them every two years," Hageman told Fox News. "If voters are dissatisfied, they can always change horses." She also emphasized the value of institutional experience, particularly during high-stakes political battles.

Debate: Reduce government corruption or the right to vote for "seasoned" lawmakers

Proponents argue that limiting tenure would reduce corruption, increase accountability and bring fresh perspectives to Congress. Critics, however, contend that such measures could strip voters of their right to choose experienced leaders and undermine the effectiveness of seasoned lawmakers. (Related: Trump announces plan to end deep state corruption in Washington "once and for all.")

The record for the longest congressional tenure belongs to the late John Dingell (D-MI), who served 59 years in the House. Current Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have also held their seats for decades, with Grassley first elected in 1980 and McConnell in 1985.

The issue gained renewed attention after the Supreme Court's 1995 ruling in U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton, which held that states cannot impose term limits on federal lawmakers without a constitutional amendment. Since then, advocacy groups like U.S. Term Limits (USTL) have worked to advance the cause through both congressional action and state-led efforts under Article V of the Constitution, which allows states to propose amendments through a national convention.

USTL President Philip Blumel praised Cruz and Norman's resolutions as "a vital step towards restoring citizen-government on Capitol Hill." The organization has secured pledges from more than 140 members of the 119th Congress, including 23 senators, to support term limits. Blumel emphasized that the goal is to implement institutional limits rather than voluntary self-restraints by individual lawmakers.

The proposed amendment reflects a broader dissatisfaction with the political status quo. Polls consistently show that Americans across the political spectrum view term limits as a way to curb the influence of special interests and career politicians.

"Support for term limits is broad and strong across all political, geographic and demographic groups," Pew Research noted in its latest survey. This widespread approval underscores the disconnect between public opinion and legislative action, as efforts to enact term limits have repeatedly faltered in Congress.

VoteRepublican.news has more related news.

Watch the video below where Sen. Cruz accuses outgoing President Joe Biden of "stealing" government assets.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.