House Republicans are reaffirming their commitment to pass a proposed amendment to place thresholds on the number of terms allowed to serve in Congress.
Earlier this year, South Carolina GOP Rep. Ralph Norman introduced HJRes.11an amendment to the United States Constitution that would limit the number of members of the House of Representatives to three terms, for a total of six years, and the number of members of the Senate to two terms, for a total of 12 years.
“We’ve had a great response from other Republicans who also support term limits,” Norman said of his proposed change in a statement to Fox News Digital this week. “This was one of Rep. McCarthy’s promises, and we intend to make sure it is done.”
For those elected in a special election to fill a vacancy, the proposal, according to Norman’s office, defines the length of a “qualifying term” as at least one year in the House of Representatives and at least three years in the Senate.
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House Republicans – including Chairman of the Judiciary Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Ralph Norman, R.S.C. – reaffirm their insistence on voting on a constitutional amendment to limit the number of terms in Congress. (Alex Wong, Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Norman also said he is “in talks with the Judiciary Committee and Rep. (Jim) Jordan to make sure HJRes.11 is scheduled for markup, and then it will definitely go through regular order.”
Russell Dye, who serves as communications director and counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox that Norman’s move is something the committee and Jordan plan to evaluate.
“Of course Mr. Jordan supports term limits, and this is something we clearly want to look at,” Dye said.
Norman’s office said the measure, which received bipartisan support and has 86 co-sponsors, will start its term limit after ratification, meaning politicians elected before that date are not yet subject to term limits.
“It is inappropriate for our elected leaders to make protracted careers on the backs of the American taxpayer,” Norman told Fox News Digital in January. “We’ve seen the corruption it can lead to. While experience is valuable, it’s easy to lose connection with those you serve after too many years in Washington. Most Americans favor term limits, but the problem is it politicians convince them that they should.” serve for a period of time and then go home and live by the laws they have enacted.”
In agreement, Maine Rep. said. Jared Golden, the first Democrat to co-sponsor Norman’s proposed amendment, said earlier this year that the House of Representatives was “never meant to be a place where someone served 30 years.”
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was the first Democrat to support Norman’s term limit change earlier this year. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
“Mainers voted for term limits in large part because they don’t believe elected office should be a long-term career,” Golden said at the time. “Instead, they want fresh ideas and new leadership. Term limits will go a long way toward delivering those ideas and leadership in Washington.”
Norman’s proposed amendment, which has been offered in the past, is exactly the sort of measure that Florida GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz — a key influence in Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become speaker — is pushing for.
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“I am a proud sponsor of Rep. Norman’s legislation for a constitutional amendment that would limit House members to 3 terms (6 years) and senators to 2 terms (12 years),” Gaetz told Fox News Digital in January.
“During the week-long negotiations with Speaker McCarthy, we were presented with a historic opportunity to finally vote on term limits on the House floor and will aggressively pursue passage,” Gaetz added at the time.
The measure has also received support from Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer, who serves as chairman of the House Oversight Committee and appeared on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” earlier this year, said his voters are “excited” about the term limit legislation. .
“The people in Kentucky who were home this weekend were excited about the rule changes,” said Comer. “They were most excited about term limits. You know, this is something Republicans campaigned for in every election, yet we haven’t had a vote on term limits in the six years I’ve been in Congress. So I’m glad we “We’re going to do that. We’re finally going to do the things we campaigned for.”
James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, R-Ky., at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
GOP Representative Don Bacon has also voiced his support for a vote on term limits, telling reporters this year that he believes the measure would be a “good thing” for House members to vote on, but that he’s not far off. see go in the Senate.
The idea of limiting congressional service has been tossed around lawmakers for years, but it never resulted in any serious legislation as members continue their decades-long careers in both chambers.
Eleven members currently serving in the House or Senate have served in one or both chambers for more than 35 years. For example, the longest-serving member of Congress is GOP Senator Chuck Grassley, whose career in politics spans nearly 65 years from his time as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1959. Grassley was first elected to the U.S. House in 1975 and later to the Senate in 1980, where he chaired multiple committees during his more than 48-year career in federal politics.
The US Capitol at sunset. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
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Following Grassley, Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who served in the House for nearly 40 years before becoming the state’s junior senator in 2013, has a combined career of 46 years in both chambers.
Other current members of Congress who have careers spanning more than 35 years in federal politics include: Oregon Democrat Senator Ron Wyden (age 42); Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. (42 years); Kentucky GOP Rep. Hal Rogers (aged 42); New Jersey GOP Representative Chris Smith (age 42); Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland (41 years old); Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois (age 40); Democrat Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio (age 40); Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (38 years old); and Maryland Democrat Senator Ben Cardin (age 36).