"Term Limits For Senators and Representatives?"

U.S.overallothers

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

The only problem I have with Term Limits is that it puts the power not in the hands of the people but the hands of the bureaucrats who actually work for the congress critters.

That's exactly the experience in California, but it's not just the legislative staffers, it's the career government services workers in the agencies who gain power as legislators come and go like a revolving door

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

So what does a “lobbyist” do?

[Jim Noble]

so we need a way to limit at least some of the damage that these idiots inflict on this country

Every House member is up for the people's verdict every two years.

If elections don't work, the problem is too great for term limits to resolve.

[Cyclone59]

How about if your net worth is over X Million and your spouse earns over Y annually, you don’t get paid for the position either. Case in point, Kerry, Edwards, Pilosi to name a few.

[LibLieSlayer]

I could go for that in a heartbeat... but the District of Corruption will never pass anything like it.

LLS

[nikos1121]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that the constitution initially did have term limits esp for the House. Am I wrong about that?

Term limits would take the partisanship out of politics and have a forum of people who are not out there trying to get elected but who would be doing the right thing.

How would we get this done, by putting it on a referendem ballot in every state or is a state thing.

Whatever it is, it should be done.

[pfflier]

I was never a big fan of term limits until two things happened:

1) I heard b frank lambast a constitueent in public and

2) Hearing my own representative, in a town hall meeting, telling us that what we want is wrong and he is going to do it his way and screw us.

The arrogance is unbelievable

[ronnietherocket2]

I am in favor of term limits, but ones more along the lines of 10-12 terms in the House and 4 in the Senate. With maybe an upper limit of 36 years combined. All other positions in Congress(staff) have a limit of up to 15 years working for Congress. Long enough that you will have senior congressmen who work independent of Congressional staff and can give some direction to more junior Congressmen, but not so long that they just remain there permanently.

[Eagle Eye]

Start by getting them off the federal payroll and onto their states’ payroll.

I’ll bet that a lot of perks and bennies drop off soon.

[Luigi Vasellini]

This has been my tagline for along time

[SunkenCiv]

Not only term limits, but also changing the length of the Representatives’ terms with the addition of different beginnings, so that there’s never the possibility of a total change of power except over a period of time. I suggest shortening the Senate terms to five years, and lengthening Rep’s to five years, and limiting both houses to two terms.

[Major Matt Mason]

If elections don't work, the problem is too great for term limits to resolve.

Not really. Term limits ensures that all of these pols will eventually leave office in a reasonable amount of time. Right now, incumbents have a major advantage over newcomers in an election. Unless a representative is obviously horrendous or simply doesn't want to be there anymore, it is almost impossible to dislodge them. And as it works out, the ones that stick around the longest are usually the ones that do the most damage via legislation (or blocking good legislation).