Posted on Oct 29, 2023
Term limits for Congress are wildly popular. But most experts say they'd be a bad idea
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https://www.npr.org/2023/10/29/ [login to see] /congressional-term-limits-explainer
Frustration with America's political system has led to some renewed interest in setting term limits for lawmakers, though it's an idea broadly opposed by experts.
Voters have long been supportive of hard caps on how long someone can be in office, but recent infighting among Republicans over who should be speaker of the U.S. House and health issues among aging members of Congress have reignited calls for federal term limits. (Ethics scandals at the U.S. Supreme Court have led to separate calls for judicial term limits.)
A Pew Research Center survey this summer found a whopping 87% of Americans say they support congressional term limits.
Frustration with America's political system has led to some renewed interest in setting term limits for lawmakers, though it's an idea broadly opposed by experts.
Voters have long been supportive of hard caps on how long someone can be in office, but recent infighting among Republicans over who should be speaker of the U.S. House and health issues among aging members of Congress have reignited calls for federal term limits. (Ethics scandals at the U.S. Supreme Court have led to separate calls for judicial term limits.)
A Pew Research Center survey this summer found a whopping 87% of Americans say they support congressional term limits.
Term limits for Congress are wildly popular. But most experts say they'd be a bad idea
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: 
CongressU.S. House of Representatives
United States Senate
Supreme Court
Ethics
CongressU.S. House of Representatives United States Senate Supreme Court Ethics
Posted 8 mo ago
Responses: 4
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What ? ! Term limit myself out of a cushy job with little responsibilities?
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."And in the end, it is largely up to members of Congress to impose these limits on themselves.
A 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling went further to say that even if members of Congress managed to impose term limits on themselves, it could be ruled unconstitutional. That means congressional term limits might have to pass through a constitutional amendment, which is an exceedingly more difficult hurdle to clear."
..."And in the end, it is largely up to members of Congress to impose these limits on themselves.
A 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling went further to say that even if members of Congress managed to impose term limits on themselves, it could be ruled unconstitutional. That means congressional term limits might have to pass through a constitutional amendment, which is an exceedingly more difficult hurdle to clear."
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MSG Thomas Currie
For those of favor "Term Limits" let me ask you, by what right do YOU get to choose who I can elect as MY representative? Why are you willing to let someone else tell you who you can elect as your representative?
I would be happy to take reasonable steps to reign in the professional politician class in the US. A few ideas I consider reasonable:
- Eliminate lifetime pensions for Representatives and Senators. Instead enroll them in the Federal Employee Retirement System (which, by the way, is not nearly as generous as most non-feds seem to think).
- Eliminate lifetime free healthcare for Representatives and Senators. Instead let them enroll in the Federal Employee Health Benefits program.
- Ban Representatives and Senators hiring immediate family members in paid staff positions.
- Modify the Franking Privilege to require the signature used instead of a stamp to be hand-signed by the Representative or Senator rather than machine-printed on the envelope or item being mailed.
I would be happy to take reasonable steps to reign in the professional politician class in the US. A few ideas I consider reasonable:
- Eliminate lifetime pensions for Representatives and Senators. Instead enroll them in the Federal Employee Retirement System (which, by the way, is not nearly as generous as most non-feds seem to think).
- Eliminate lifetime free healthcare for Representatives and Senators. Instead let them enroll in the Federal Employee Health Benefits program.
- Ban Representatives and Senators hiring immediate family members in paid staff positions.
- Modify the Franking Privilege to require the signature used instead of a stamp to be hand-signed by the Representative or Senator rather than machine-printed on the envelope or item being mailed.
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CSM Rick Cassel
MSG Thomas Currie - I can help you out with two of your reasonable steps.
- Members of congress are CSRS or FERS employees now. Depending on when they first started serving. They fall under the same retirement system as every other federal employee. The only pensions they recieve are through CSRS/FERS, social security and TSP.
_ Member of congress get their health insurance via the Federal Employee Health Benefits program.
_ Pensions for life and free healthcare are both myths.
_ Reference https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL30631
- Members of congress are CSRS or FERS employees now. Depending on when they first started serving. They fall under the same retirement system as every other federal employee. The only pensions they recieve are through CSRS/FERS, social security and TSP.
_ Member of congress get their health insurance via the Federal Employee Health Benefits program.
_ Pensions for life and free healthcare are both myths.
_ Reference https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL30631
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