Posted by
Musing Minds on Thursday, November 09, 2006 11:58:23 AM
I think it's time to discuss congressional term limits once again.
There are way too many old fossils in the House and in the Senate in both parties.
Terms were set by the Founders at two years for the House and six years for the Senate for some very good reasons.
The Founders wanted to minimize the disruption to a person's life and livelihood while he (or she) served the people in the House of Representatives. They didn't set a limit on the number of terms, but expected that citizen representatives would serve a term or two and go back to their regular lives.
The Senators were appointed by the states until 1913 when the 17th Amendment instituted direct election of Senators. The term has always been six years. This ensured some continuity. Each state had four continuous years of the same two Senators (barring death, impeachment, or resignation) and each Senator had six continuous years (to go with the two years for each House Representative).
The Twentieth Century brought with it career politicians. Gerrymandering districts aided re-election of incumbents. No one in Congress wants to give up their perks.
This is my new idea. Term limits, but they are only continuous.
It would work this way: A member could serve in the House of Representatives for no more than six continuous terms (12 years). Then he or she would be required to take at least one term off, at which point the (former) member could run for the post again.
In the Senate, the same 12 years would apply, but in this case it would be two continuous terms and he or she would have to take a break. The (former) Senator would have to take the entire six year term off - no fair running for the other Senator's seat when it may come up...
Just my opinion, but getting some new blood in the House and Senate may help real things get done. Ethically it may help as well. If you can't promise more than 12 years out...
Then, of course, there's my wish that for every new law an old, obsolete law is actually repealed and taken off the books, but that's another story...
cross-posted from Musing Minds