Should Members of Congress be Limited to Serving 18 Consecutive Years in Office? (S. Joint Res. 51)

What is S. Joint Res. 51?

(Updated August 6, 2019)

This resolution would propose an amendment to the Constitution to prevent members of Congress from serving for more than 18 consecutive years. Representatives would be limited to nine consecutive terms in office, while senators would be limited to three consecutive terms in office. Term-limited members of Congress would be eligible to run again one year after their term ends. Any partial term in office to fill a vacancy would only count against the limit if it was for more than one year. The term limit wouldn’t apply retroactively, so current members of Congress would start with a fresh slate if the amendment is enacted.

As a joint resolution that proposes a constitutional amendment, the president’s signature wouldn’t be required for this to be enacted. Rather, at least three-fourths of the states — currently 38 — must ratify the amendment for it to take effect.

Argument in favor

A regular rotation of elected representatives is vital for the long-term health of a functioning republic. Setting the limit at 18 consecutive years of serving in Congress strikes an appropriate balance between encouraging turnover in the ranks of Congress and allowing effective politicians to serve.

Argument opposed

Term limits make Congress less effective and if a member of Congress can get re-elected again and again, then they should be able to keep their seats. If people don't like it, then they should vote differently.

Impact

Constituents; potential candidates for congressional elections; state legislatures; incumbent members of Congress.

Cost of S. Joint Res. 51

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

Of Note: The debate over term limits is one of the oldest in U.S. politics — in fact, it even predates America’s Constitution. In the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, members of the state assembly were limited to serving “four years in seven.”

Term limits for members of Congress most recently became a significant issue in 1994 when 22 states had term limits for their congressional delegations. The U.S. Supreme Court then struck down state-imposed term limits that are stricter than what’s found in the Constitution in the case U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton. This issue resurfaced in 2012 when the Senate rejected a non-binding resolution suggesting that the Constitution should be amended to put in place term limits in a 24-75 vote.

In-Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has previously supported similar Congressional term limit proposals.

Media:

• Countable (Context)
  
• Roll Call (Context)
  
• USA Today (Context)