This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit members of the House of Representatives to three terms and Senators to two terms, with specific provisions for partial terms. Terms served before the amendment's ratification would not be counted towards these limits, and the amendment must be ratified within seven years to be valid.
Ralph Norman
Representative
SC-5
This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the number of terms a member of Congress can serve. Representatives would be limited to 3 terms and Senators to 2 terms, with specific rules for partial terms. Terms served before the amendment's ratification would not be counted. The amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years to be valid.
Congressional Term Limits Proposed: New Amendment Caps House and Senate Service
This proposed constitutional amendment is all about shaking up Capitol Hill by setting term limits for members of Congress. If ratified, it would restrict Representatives to a maximum of three terms (each term is two years, so six years total) and Senators to two terms (each term is six years, totaling twelve).
Fresh Faces, New Rules?
The core change here is straightforward: limit the amount of time anyone can serve in Congress. Importantly, any terms served before this amendment gets ratified don't count towards the limit. So, if your Representative has already served five terms, they still get another three under this rule. The clock starts ticking after it's officially part of the Constitution. The states have seven years to ratify this amendment. Three-fourths of the states (that's 38 out of 50) need to agree for it to become law.
Real-World Rollout
Let's say this amendment passes. What happens then? Imagine a small business owner who's frustrated with their long-time Representative. Under the current system, that Representative could stay in office indefinitely. With term limits, there's a guaranteed turnover, opening the door for new candidates and potentially different approaches to issues that matter to that business owner, like tax regulations or local infrastructure projects. Section 2 of the bill explicitly states that prior terms don't count, offering a fresh start.
On the flip side, consider a Senator who's become a real expert on, say, complex cybersecurity issues. After two terms, they're out, regardless of their expertise. This could mean a loss of valuable knowledge within Congress. It also means that experienced staffers and lobbyists, who aren't elected, might end up holding more sway because they've been around longer and know the ropes better than the newer elected officials.
The Big Picture
This amendment ties directly into the idea of keeping Congress responsive to the people. The whole point is to prevent anyone from becoming too entrenched in power. But, there's a trade-off. While it might bring in fresh perspectives, it could also mean losing experienced lawmakers who've developed deep understanding of critical issues. It also potentially empowers the unelected—staff and lobbyists—who don't face the same term limits. The seven-year ratification window (detailed in the final section of the bill) also means this change isn't happening overnight. It needs widespread agreement across the states before it can take effect.