House GOP pledges to ‘follow through’ with vote on major constitutional change: ‘Great response’

House Republicans reaffirm their commitment to pass a proposed amendment to set thresholds on the number of terms members of Congress can serve.

Earlier this year, South Carolina GOP Representative Ralph Norman introduces HJRes.11an amendment to the US Constitution that would limit those who serve in the House to three terms, for a total of six years, and those who serve in the Senate to two terms, for a total of 12 years.

“We’ve had a great response from other Republicans who also support term limits,” Norman said of his proposed amendment in a statement to Fox News Digital this week. “That was one of Rep. McCarthy’s promises, and we intend to continue to make sure it gets done.”

For those elected in a special election to fill a vacancy, the proposal, according to Norman’s office, defines the length of a “qualifying term” as at least one year in the House of Representatives and at least three years in the Senate.

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Norman also said he was “speaking to the judiciary committee and the representative. [Jim] Jordan to make sure HJRes.11 is scheduled for markup, then it will definitely go through the regular command.”

Russell Dye, who is director of communications and counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox that Norman’s measure was something the committee and Jordan planned to assess.

“Of course Mr. Jordan supports term limits, and that’s something we obviously plan to look at,” Dye said.

Norman’s office said the measure, which has received bipartisan support and has 86 co-sponsors, kicks off the term limit counter after ratification, meaning politicians elected before then would not yet be subject to term limits.

“It’s inappropriate for our elected leaders to build long-term careers on the backs of the American taxpayer,” Norman told Fox News Digital in January. “We have seen the corruption this can bring. While experience is valuable, it is easy to become disconnected from those you serve after too many years in Washington. Most Americans support term limits, but the problem is convincing the politicians that they should serve for a while and then go home and live under the laws they have enacted.”

In agreement, Maine Rep. Jared Golden, the first Democrat to co-sponsor Norman’s proposed amendment, said earlier this year that the House of Representatives “was never intended at its inception to be a place where someone served for 30 years.”

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was the first Democrat to support Norman’s amendment on term limits earlier this year. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

“The Mainers voted in favor of term limits largely because they don’t believe elected office should be a long-term career,” Golden said at the time. “Instead, they want new ideas and new leadership. Term limits will go a long way to getting those ideas and leadership out into Washington.”

Norman’s proposed amendment, which has been proposed in the past, is exactly Florida GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz’s type of measure – a key element in by Kevin McCarthy application to become a lecturer – lobbied for.

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“I’m a proud co-sponsor of Rep. Norman’s legislation for a constitutional amendment that would limit House members to 3 terms (6 years) and senators to 2 terms (12 years),” Gaetz told Fox News. Digital in January.

“During week-long negotiations with Speaker McCarthy, we secured a historic opportunity to finally have a vote on House term limits and we will aggressively pursue its passage,” Gaetz added at the time.

The measure also received support from Kentucky Rep. GOP James Comerwho serves as chairman of the House Oversight Committee and said earlier this year during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” that his constituents are “excited” about the term limit legislation.

“People in Kentucky went home this weekend excited about the rule changes,” Comer said. “They were the most excited about term limits. You know, it’s something Republicans have campaigned in every election, but yet we haven’t had a vote on term limits in six years. where I’ve been in Congress. So I’m glad we’re going to do this. We’re finally going to do the things that we campaigned on.”

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

GOP Rep. Don Bacon also voiced support for a vote on term limits, telling reporters this year that he thinks the measure would be a ‘good thing’ for House members to vote on, but he doesn’t see it going away in the Senate.

The idea of ​​limiting service in Congress has been floated among lawmakers for years, but it never resulted in serious legislation as members pursue their decades-long careers in both houses.

Eleven members who currently serve in the House or the Senate have served more than 35 years in one or both chambers. For example, the longest serving member of Congress is GOP Senator Chuck Grassleywhose political career spans nearly 65 years since he was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1959. Grassley was first elected to the U.S. House in 1975 and then to the Senate in 1980, where he served as chairman of several committees during his more than 48-year career in federal politics.

The US Capitol at sunset. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)

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After Grassley, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, who served in the House for nearly 40 years before becoming a junior state senator in 2013, has a combined 46-year career in both houses.

Other current members of Congress who have a career spanning more than 35 years in federal politics include: Democratic Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (42); Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. (42 years old); Kentucky GOP Representative Hal Rogers (42); New Jersey GOP Rep. Chris Smith (42); Maryland Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer (41); Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin (40); Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur (40); Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. (38 years old); and Democratic Maryland Senator Ben Cardin (36).