For many years, the issue of term limits has been bandied about; it has been a key focus for an amendment that could be included in a Convention of States Article V Convention. Even though term limits have been proposed, they have never been enacted into law.
Just how long have Senators and Representatives been serving in the Senate and the House?
13 Longest Serving Active Members of Congress
There are 13 active members of Congress that have the longest tenure of service, some of whom have served only in one chamber and some of whom have served both the Senate and House of Representatives. These are members of Congress actively serving that have the longest combined record of service on anyone currently serving in Congress.
*Has served in both the House and Senate
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — 47 years*
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) — 45 years*
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) — 41 years*
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — 41 years*
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY-05) — 41 years
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) — 41 years
Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05) — 40 years
Early Actions for Term Limits
Proposals for term limits were made (unsuccessfully) in our history:
Legislative efforts to impose constitutional term limits in Congress date to 1789, the year Congress first convened, when Representative Thomas Tucker of Charleston, South Carolina, proposed one-year Senate terms with a limit of five years in any six-year period and two-year House terms with a limit of six years in any eight-year period. The proposal was shelved and never made it to committee, largely putting the issue to rest (thanks to the voluntary rotation of congressmen) until the 1940s when presidential term limits were debated due to Roosevelt’s re-elections.
How do citizens feel about term limits? Even though citizens can elect someone else at election time rather than the person in office, according to one survey, they would like to have term limits:
According to a Mar. 2023 poll by the Program for Public Consultation (PPC), some 83% of registered voters support an amendment for congressional term limits. And the support is overwhelmingly bipartisan: 86% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 80% of Democrats. Further, the support has been unwavering since PPC first asked the question in 2017.
The problem with Congress trying to pass term limits, as you can see from our history, is that most people in the House and Senate don’t want them! (The Convention of States-Action has already had 19 states sign on to having an Article V Convention.) Some legislators, however, do see the benefits of having them:
If we were to have term limits, we would have more open-seat races in which both candidates would really have to earn the votes of the people, including by paying attention to their views.
Adds Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), who supports term limits, ‘Too often, Senators
and Members of Congress become out of touch with the rest of the country when they find themselves in Washington for too long. Congress was designed to be a body representative of the people, so ensuring we have elected officials who truly understand what it is to work, raise a family and live their lives in their home districts is essential.’
Arguments Against Term Limits
Some organizations think that term limits are a bad idea; views opposing term limits are followed here by the benefit to the opposition:
1. One argument is that the voters would be limited in their choices for filling a position. We have to remember, however, that voters have overwhelmingly opted for term limits.
2. The experience and knowledge of a lawmaker is lost once he leaves. Perhaps with term limits, whoever comes in will realize that he or she must “hit the ground running,” and not waste time on unnecessary tasks.
3. Effective lawmakers would be forced out with term limits. At the same time, new people will bring in new blood and new ideas.
4. Lawmakers are known to spend an inordinate amount of time on fundraising for their next election. When they realize their terms are limited, perhaps they will spend less time on petitioning donors and more time working on the job.
5. Extended terms may not contribute to their performance.
COS wants legislators who are dedicated, vibrant and engaged, who want to bring the best ideas and policies to benefit our country, in the time they are given. We don't want them to take their roles for granted, an attitude that could develop over a long period of time. Instead, we can ensure that our lawmakers are creative, vigorous and engaged!
These are the reasons why Convention of States supports an amendment for term limits.
