Pennsylvanians join the push to term limit Congress

(The Center Square) – Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia, has introduced a concurrent resolution calling Pennsylvania to join states seeking a constitutional amendment for Congressional term limits.

A second resolution calls for adding term limits for Supreme Court Justices.

“In a time of low trust in the government, we must take action to ensure our deliberative institutions are responsive to the people they serve,” wrote Solomon in a memo about the bill. “Too often once a candidate is elected to Congress, the incumbency advantage they inherit is too much to overcome to allow for truly competitive elections.”

The efforts have seen bipartisan support from legislators across the country who are interested in balancing power. At this time, ten U.S. states have seen Congressional term-limit applications through their legislatures. Among them, Florida, Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Dakota.

“It’s time for Congress to be accountable to the people they represent, ” said Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits, the nonpartisan nonprofit spearheading the issue. “Term limits will help restore trust in our government and ensure that power is returned to the hands of the citizens.”

Another 24 states, including Pennsylvania, would be required to pass applications to call a convention to make the amendment. According to USTL, an additional 19 have passed applications that include term limits along with other subjects. They aim to carve out Congressional term limits as a standalone issue.

Many younger Americans may be less familiar with the process of proposing and ratifying a constitutional amendment through state legislatures. Three fourths of the states, 38, must ratify it once the convention is called. The last time it was successful was in creating the 27th amendment in 1992, which prohibits Congress putting into effect raises or cuts for their own salaries till after the next House election has passed.

The 22nd amendment, which imposes presidential term limits, was passed by Congress in 1951 after Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for four terms.

Precedent, says USTL, calls into question the oft-repeated argument that politicians will never legislate to decrease their own power. They cite a 1995 vote in which the House voted to limit terms but failed to meet the two-thirds supermajority required for a constitutional amendment. 

For more politically-minded legislators, conceding some power may well be the best way to limit the power of their opposition. Both sides have long-lamented the presidential power to shape U.S. law — and culture — for generations through lifetime Supreme Court appointments.

“Our democracy works best when we put people ahead of politics,” wrote Solomon. “Imposing term limits would enhance access to the electoral and judicial process, increase competition among candidates, reduce special interest influence, and restore rotations in Congressional seats and U.S. Supreme Court appointments.”

Christina Lengyel is a Pennsylvania reporter for The Center Square. She is based in Harrisburg.

This article was republished with permission from The Center Square.