U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, along with other Republican Senators, has reintroduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would impose term limits on members of Congress.
“Every year, Congress spends billions of dollars on giveaways for the well-connected: Washington insiders get taxpayer money and members of Congress get re-elected, all while the system fails the American people. It’s no wonder that the vast majority of Americans from every political stripe – Republicans, Democrats, and Independents – overwhelmingly support congressional term limits,” said Sen. Cruz.
The amendment would limit U.S. Senators to two six-year terms, and members of the House of Representatives to three two-year terms.
“The rise of political careerism in today’s Congress is a sharp departure from what the Founders intended for our federal governing bodies. I have long called for this solution for the brokenness of Washington, D.C., and I will continue fighting to hold career politicians accountable. As I have done in the past, I urge my colleagues to submit this constitutional amendment to the states for speedy ratification,” Sen. Cruz said.
The 2021 effort is likewise not expected to be successful.
The Supreme Court ruled in US Term Limits Inc. v. Thornton that states cannot impose qualifications for prospective members of Congress that are more strict than those written in the Constitution.
As part of its 1995 ruling, the court stated that the only way to impose term limits on Congress would be through a constitutional amendment.
Sen. Cruz was joined by Sen. Mike Braum (R-Ind.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in reintroducing the amendment.