Some of our elected leaders on Capitol Hill have made a habit of making simple things complicated. It’s an old but effective tactic designed to frustrate those who are advocating for reform. It’s the same list of excuses we’ve all heard a thousand times. It usually starts with “it’s not the right time” or “be careful what you wish for” or the dreaded “we don’t have the votes.”
A perfect example of this is the question of whether or not there should be a new constitutional amendment for congressional term limits. In the era of complex and unreadable 1,000-page pieces of legislation, the questions surrounding this debate are simple. Should Congress be term limited like the presidency, and if so where should the limits be set? Only in Washington can a joint resolution that spans two paragraphs be made into a complicated matter. There’s absolutely no doubt that amending the U.S. Constitution should be taken very seriously and debated thoroughly, but the American people clearly want the debate and an up-or-down vote.
A recent poll indicates that 74 percent of likely U.S. voters support such a proposal, with only 13 percent in opposition. In today’s America it’s hard to find any initiative that enjoys such strong support from our citizenry, and with good reason. I’m not sure I know anyone — Democrat or Republican — who really believes Congress has been functioning effectively for a long time. So congressional term limits is hardly a new phenomenon. The American people’s distrust in Washington politicians and out of control federal spending has been growing for decades. The last time there was a real push was in mid-1990s, when Newt Gingrich was speaker of the House. The measure failed back then but that did not deter those reform-minded Republicans from putting it up for a vote.
The difference in 2017 — and it’s an enormous one — is that term limits now has real presidential support. During a speech in Colorado Springs on Oct. 18, then-presidential candidate Trump stated: “If I am elected President, I will push for a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.” The rationale for Trump’s support of term limits is easy to understand. In Trump you have a citizen-politician who is listening to the will of the American people. What a refreshing idea!
With the existence of such clear public support and presidential backing to boot, why are some in Congress still not ready to move forward? Those on the Hill not in favor of the measure say that we have elections, which are effectively built-in term limits. That argument falls flat when you consider the massive advantages that come with incumbency and how few competitive seats still exist today. Those who oppose term limits further argue that without career politicians, you’d be creating a situation in which career staff members and bureaucrats emerge as too powerful a force. That argument doesn’t hold much water either because staffers don’t get the voting cards.
It will be difficult to convince some longtime members of Congress to support congressional term limits. After all, they’ll be on the record admitting that their way hasn’t worked. But with constant gridlock ruling the day and trillion-dollar spending bills passing at night resulting in a skyrocketing $20 trillion national debt, it’s time to put the matter to a vote. In the 1950s we term limited the presidency via constitutional amendment, so doing the same for Congress should not be viewed as some sort of never before attempted experiment. And to make the measure more palatable to incumbents, the amendment could include a grandfather clause specifying that it only affects terms of office beginning after the measure is enacted.
The American people delivered the presidency to Trump because they are ready for consequential changes. If Congress wants to confirm that they are beyond repair, they can ignore what’s happening in our country. Or they can turn the page and show they are big enough to reform themselves. Supporting a congressional term limits amendment now would send an unmistakable signal to the American people that members of Congress care more about your legacy than their own.
J.T. Mastranadi is vice president for governmental affairs at Citizens United. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.