On March 5, Wisconsin 8^th District Congressional candidate Reid Ribble published an editorial decrying “careerism” in Washington.  According to Ribble, “career politicians apparently no longer care” about taxpayers.

 

“It’s time to vote them out and not send just another carbon copy to replace them.”

 

I agree.

 

Ribble promises to limit his tenure in Congress to just four terms.  It’s a good step, but it doesn’t go far enough.

 

Simply relying on the hollow promise of a politician is not enough.  Even the best of politicians become immersed in the process over time.  Power corrupts.  Politicians come to believe their own propaganda.  They lose sight of such ideals as Liberty, Honor, and Justice.  They forget that every dollar they spend is first taken from a taxpayer who works hard to earn hat dollar.  Thousands and millions of dollars become little more than a rounding error to a career politician.

 

Currently, the only thing limiting the number of terms a Member of Congress may be elected is his or her natural lifespan.  Today we routinely see people holding Congressional office for 20 years or more.  Wisconsin’s own Dave Obey has been in Congress for more than 40 years.  Jim Sensenbrenner and Tom Petri have been in Congress more than 30 years.  Ron Kind is now in his 7^th term in Congress.  Even young Paul Ryan and Tammy Baldwin are now in their 6^th terms in Congress.  Herb Kohl has been in the U.S. Senate since 1989.  Russ Feingold has been there since 1993.

 

Reid Ribble is right.  “It’s time to vote them out and not send just another carbon copy to replace them.”

 

The result of repeated re-election of incumbent legislators is a gradual lack of ability to think creatively, outside the box, when problems arise.  All too often, Congress’ only solution is to spend more and more of your money for you – and then spend more of your money to tell you what a good job they’re doing for you.

 

The Constitution allows voters to replace every Member of Congress every two years, every Senator every six years.  The problem is the entrenched political class has so rigged the system that virtually every incumbent politician who seeks re-election is re-elected.  From drawing “safe” Congressional district boundaries to their franking privilege on “official” correspondence, the deck is hopelessly stacked in the incumbents’ favor. 

 

The Constitution was written so as to limit the power of government.  The time has come to limit the power of those in our government.  The time has come to put Congressional term limits in the Constitution.

 

In 1951, America amended the U.S. Constitution for the 22^nd time, limiting to two the number of times a person can be elected to serve as President of the United States.

 

Up until the Presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, following the custom and tradition established by America’s first President, George Washington, no President had been elected more than twice.  Franklin Roosevelt was elected President four times, and died shortly after the beginning of his fourth term in office.

 

Term limits work pretty well when it comes to keeping the President accountable to the voters.  It’s time for Congress to live under the same rules.

 

To that end, the following Amendment to the United States Constitution is (again) proposed:

 

SECTION 1:  No person shall be elected to the House of Representatives more than three times, and no person who has served as a Representative in the House of Representatives more than one year of a term to which some other person was elected to serve as a Representative in the House of Representatives shall be elected to the House of Representatives more than twice.

 

SECTION 2:  No person shall be elected to the Senate more than twice, and no person who has served as a Senator more than three years of a term to which some other person was elected to serve as a Senator shall be elected to the Senate more than once.

 

SECTION 3:  No person who is prevented from being elected to the House of Representatives under Section 1 of this Article or to the Senate under Section 2 of this article may serve the remainder of a term to which some other person was elected to serve as a Representative in the House of Representatives or as a Senator in the Senate.

 

SECTION 4:  This article shall not prevent any person serving as a Representative in the House of Representatives or as a Senator in the Senate during the term within which this article is ratified as part of the Constitution from continuing to serve as a Representative in the House of Representatives or as a Senator in the Senate until the current term expires.

 

If Reid Ribble is serious about battling “careerism” in Washington, I call upon him and every candidate for federal office, including our current incumbents, to endorse such a Constitutional amendment, and to vow to sponsor and fight for such legislation at their earliest opportunity.