Washington's reluctance to self-restrict remains unchanged.
Public attention focused on the averted government shutdown and the Speaker of the House shakeup this past week, but did you know the House Judiciary Committee formally considered a constitutional amendment to implement term limits on members of Congress?
Unsurprisingly to Convention of States supporters, our leaders failed to carry the proposal forward.
Term limits are a powerful way to enact real change in Washington, but as expected, Washington has no interest in the self-impeding measure. Rep. Ralph Norman's (R–SC) term limit resolution has over 100 co-sponsors. He wrote in a blog this week that it carries such a large backing "because the majority of Americans support term limits for Congress."
The specific limits can be debated, but the universal consensus is that elected officials should not be in Washington for life-long careers. Norman said members ought to eventually go home and live under the laws they enacted.
After review by the Judiciary Committee last week, the resolution failed to garner enough votes to make it to the floor for a full House vote. Norman expected Democrats to reject the resolution, but with Republicans in the majority, he expected it to pass out of the committee.
"Yet four Republicans on the Judiciary Committee voted against my resolution, which is astounding. I’m not naming names, but it just goes to show how addicted federal politicians are to the trappings of Washington," he wrote, adding that it’s becoming increasingly clear that Congress is not going to term limit itself.
"Instead, if a constitutional amendment on this front has any path forward, it’ll almost certainly require a Convention of States," he suggested.
Is Washington ready for change? Clearly no. But with Convention of States making tremendous strides in the states, change is bound to come sooner or later. The system will never term limit itself no matter which party is in control.
This latest disappointment proves the Swamp will only change if outsiders bring change. Convention of States is made up of D.C. outsiders who are ready to bring strong, restrictive constitutional amendments to the Washington environment. Become a supporter today by simply adding your name to the petition below.
