Should members of the US CONGRESS have TERM LIMITS?

[AviatorTom]

In the US Congress, about 25% of its lawmakers are over 70 and the average age in Congress has increased over the years. Between 1950 and 1990, an average of 10% of Congress was under 40; since 2000 it’s been less than half that, only been around 4%.

This means that the majority of members of Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) are older, and may be seen as more "set in their ways".

Should Congress have term limits so that younger people can serve and bring newer ideas with them?

Yes

No

Something else - please describe

[libsaretards]

Here is how I would handle Congressional Term Limits:

1. Cannot serve more than 2 terms at a time. Once 2 terms have been served, cannot run for Congress again for 2 terms. Regardless of whether you serve 1 or 2 terms, must wait 2 terms to run again when you leave Congress.

2. Can only serve ONE chamber of Congress at a time. For example, if you serve a term in the HOUSE, you cannot use your second term to run for SENATE until you have been out of Congress for 2 terms. Same going from SENATE to HOUSE.

3. Once you have served in Congress (either chamber), you cannot run for president/vice president until you have been out of Congress for 2 terms.

4. Cannot be House Speaker for more than 1 term at a time, even if you are elected to a 2nd term. House Speaker must be decided by vote from BOTH chambers of Congress combined, NOT JUST THE HOUSE.

[AviatorTom]

Very interesting proposal.

[OlderAndWiser]

I am opposed to term limits. I have worked in a state legislature and observed the process from the inside. There are many things our elected leaders do that require some experience and expertise. Not everyone can get elected and immediately start serving on a finance and tax committee, or engage in regulatory oversight of an administrative agency. I do understand the problems of having people like Nancy Pelosi serve beyond their useful life, but that should be an issue for the voters to decide.

[AviatorTom]

@OlderAndWiser Very good description. I agree that experience is needed. I just wonder, though, if after a while years of experience just turns into years of doing the same thing. I would propose a 12-year limit on members of Congress. That's 2x6-year Senate terms and 6x2-year Representative terms. And, as some have suggested, I would propose all members of Congress participate in Social Security, just like the general public, not special Congressional pensions.

[OlderAndWiser]

Yes, I agree with the pension part.

[OlderAndWiser]

Thanks for MHO!

[Sixgunsound]

Election to a position where you are supposed to be serving your constituents should not be like winning the graft, nepotism, and/or kickback lottery. In the interest of fairness, yes some type of experience is required to effectively do the job. That experience could come from state level legislature, or maybe the old boys Netwerk would be sufficiently disrupted by the frequent comings and going‘s of congressional representatives that the interest of the people versus the interest of the elites might actually get served.

[Soteris]

It would probably be a bad idea. While it might sound like a good idea to prevent bad people from staying in politics, removing them would just have them be replaced with new bad people who has a fresh track record. There is basically a whole system for putting bad people into positions of power so forcing them out will only hurt the good people who usually dont have it as easy to get into politics in the first place.

[goaded]

Allow for more than one candidate from each party (and independents), and use ranked-choice voting (aka instant-runoff voting) to pick the winner. No more extremists, elected representatives that the majority of voters can live with, even if they're not their ideal. Simples.

It's literally as simple as 1-2-3.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Yes. For one holding political power too long you become disconnected to the average person and entitled as a self absorb snob.

Secondly, a person 70 years and older tend to be no longer as a mentally sharp as they were in their younger years.

I stand by Congress term limits should be 20 years max.

If you start your political career at 40 then you have to go at 60.

[VanillaSalt]

At the very least they need to be answerable to the people.. not the government. We need quarterly reports on these fuckers done by the people of their state.

[jshm2]

Don't be daft, they are not labourers, their advancing years mean little.

Their age is not the issue, their contacts and quality of work is.

[Anonymous]

Term limits, absolutely.

make way for younger politicians? Hell no!

and also eliminate the automatic retirement pension for life after only serving one term. Make them go back to the life they had before and earn a living.

[joeldalton]

Yes. And they must publicly announce any stock trades they or their immediate family make on a daily basis.

[NathanDavis]

not going to happen

[mike5150]

This is a must

[exitseven]

yes, term limits are a must.

[Cubus]

There should be some term limits

[dustybiker]

Absolutely.

[Jamie05rhs]

Yes.

[shortster]

Yes, please.

[jimmy2]

Yes for sure 2 years