Term limits for U.S. Congressman and Senators is a hot button issue only for them.  Why?  Because most people don’t know and don’t care to understand how they could work and what benefits and risks are associated with them.  With any change, there are risks and benefits, hopefully the benefits outweigh the risks in any decision that is made.  Please keep reading I will try and keep this as light as possible.  It really is not that complex an issue to discuss, although lifetime politicians would call it Armageddon.  But who knows, after they read my proposal maybe they will reconsider.

Term limit are set by the Constitution.  If we want to change them there are two ways to do this. (1) write a bill that would change them and have that bill pass both houses with a 2/3 majority approving it.  Now let’s see, what are the chances of that happening with neither house able to agree on what kind of soap to use in the Capital lavatories.  (2) have the state legislatures (32 of them or 2/3 of them) call for a term limit constitutional convention to change the limits.  The scope of the convention must be limited to this and only this or else you will have things proposed that will never get ratified.  To ratify the changes; 38 states or 3/4 must vote to ratify the change. This website is what I used for the reference.  https://www.termlimits.org/do-we-need-congressional-approval-to-create-term-limits-on-congress/

Stay with me it’s going to get better.

So what on earth could motivate the current members of the Congress and Senate to remove themselves from the mammary glands they are currently attached to?  Well it is quite simple actually; the legislation would not apply to them.  It would only apply to new legislatures voted into office after the passage of the bill.  So the current members could continue to feed until they leave office via attrition.  That should shut them up; maybe.

The limits would be simple: A member of Congress would be limited to 5 two year terms or 10 years. A senator would be limited to 2 six year terms or 12 years.  After that, they return to the private sector as it should be.

Term limits would allow for the influx of new ideas and increase the likelihood of more political participation from the people.  In other words, people that would probably never get an opportunity to run for office could now get the chance.  They would not be blocked by a crusty old lifelong politician.

The doomsayers would contend that you would have too many inexperienced legislatures which could lead to bad policy decisions.  With the checks and balances in place and the oversight now available via information networks I do not see that happening.  We typically do not elect stupid people, well maybe a few, but not a majority.

President elect Donald Trump proposed them and was immediately assaulted by Sen. Mitch McConnell as he said that was a non-starter.  That attitude really annoys me.  We need change and term limits is a good one.