Enacting Federal Term Limits on Senators and Representatives

80% of Americans favor Federal term limits.

Term limits will vastly increase the number of open seats where voters have the greatest choices and candidates are held most accountable. Capable and fresh talent will no longer need to wait for someone to die or retire to serve their community. This will increase the spread of new solutions and ideas, as well as accelerate diversity in Congress.

Term limits will also reduce the influence of PACs and big-money donors, as our representatives know they won’t be spending their life in Washington but will eventually return to their communities where they will be held accountable to their neighbors. Term limits will take a wrecking ball to the antiquated system of seniority that allocates committee assignments based on decades of tenure instead of ability.

Some argue that term limits put too much power into the hands of the congressional staffers. That’s a myth. Congressional staffers turn over at a rate 3.4 times higher than their Representatives!

Furthermore, our Washington officials already receive policy making experience before reaching Washington. Today nearly every Senator and Congressperson came to office having previously held Governorships, served as State Legislators or State Attorneys, or other positions in the Executive Branch.

Others argue, “we have term limits, they’re called elections.” But we voters know that politicians have rigged the system such that incumbents are virtually guaranteed victory. Only with term limits can we take their thumb off the scale, and return democracy to the voters.