Term Limits on Congress and the Senate

The Twenty-second Amendment of the United States Constitution sets a term limit for the President of the United States. The United States Congress passed the amendment on March 21, 1947. It was ratified by the requisite number of states on February 27, 1951. However, there are no such limits for members serving in the House or Senate. I propose that House members be limited to 3 terms (6 years) and Senators be limited to 2 terms (12 years) -- these terms are long enough to provide continuity of the government, but short enough to insure turnover to minimize the effect of name recognition in elections, to reduce the tendency for members to abuse their offices for personal gain, pork-barrel spending, and a host of other problems caused by the present seniority systems in both houses of congress.

Most new members arrive at the Senate with a "wish list" of committee assignments. They recognize that appointment to committees with a special impact on the interests of their states and regions can promote their own legislative effectiveness. For Senate party leaders, the committee appointment process offers a means of promoting party discipline through the granting or withholding of desired assignments.

Until the mid-nineteenth century, the Senate made committee appointments either by vote of the full body or decision of its presiding officer. The first method proved inordinately time consuming; the second provoked controversy and dissatisfaction. Finally, in 1846, members agreed to a procedure under which both political parties within the Senate would submit for the full body's approval a slate of members to fill the various committee seats. This new plan fostered development of Senate party conferences (Democrats informally use the designation "caucus"). Independents and members of third parties have received committee assignments through one or the other ...