If Congress won’t impose term limits on itself, the states need to enact them | Opinion

Career politicians. We hear the term every election cycle over and over — in our mailboxes, on our televisions and on our phones.

Candidates running for office have a good reason for repeating the phrase when describing their opponents who have served in elected offices for years: voters are sick and tired of career politicians. You know the types: They run for the Statehouse, then Congress, and on it goes. The cycle never ends, and yet they fail to deliver for the American people.

The best example of failure is the group of politicians sitting in Congress. No matter which party is in charge, Congress often fails to pass a budget, cut spending, invest in real national defense or counter the threats of adversaries like China.

Congress simply fails to work for the American people.

It’s no surprise that the president is left with no choice but to take action by executive order — even congressional leaders of the president’s party can’t seem to actually cut wasteful spending. In fact, Sen. Lindsey Graham has been the sponsor of many of the very projects that have sent our nation spiraling into devastating national debt. Gender programs in Pakistan? Lindsey Graham made sure that was in the budget. It’s irresponsible and breaches a fiduciary responsibility to American taxpayers.

That’s why now, more than ever, we need congressional term limits.

George Washington set the standard that a president served no more than two terms. Several presidents were interested in a third term, but none succeeded until Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, as the nation confronted the possibility of entering World War II.

It wasn’t until 1947 that Congress passed the legislation that would create the 22nd Amendment to limit any president to two terms in office. The amendment took effect when the 36th of our then 48 states ratified it nearly 75 years ago, on Feb. 27, 1951. South Carolina was the thirty-eighth state to ratify the amendment on March 13, 1951.

The recent anniversary of this highlights the importance of today’s most popular and bipartisan issue — congressional term limits. A 2023 Pew Research survey of nearly 8,500 U.S. adults found 87% supported congressional term limits. Most recently, a January RMG Research poll of 1,000 likely general election voters found 83% support for congressional term limits, regardless of political affiliation.

That is a remarkable show of support that members of Congress would do well to recognize.

With 151 members who have pledged to support congressional term limits now serving in Congress, we are seeing movement to pass congressional term limits. Once passed by Congress and ratified by the states, the proposal from our organization, U.S. Term Limits, would limit representatives to three terms, or six years, and senators to two terms, or 12 years.

Because politicians in Congress are unlikely to limit themselves, it’s time for states to take action by calling for a convention to adopt a congressional term limits amendment. When enough states request a convention to add a congressional term limits amendment to the Constitution, Congress is bypassed, and the amendment can be proposed by the states for ratification. The convention would be strictly limited to imposing term limits on Congress.

Eleven states have called for such a limited convention: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. We need 34. In South Carolina, House Concurrent Resolution 3008 calls for a congressional term limits amendment. It is essential the Palmetto State pass this resolution and go on record for congressional term limits.

Term limits represent an opportunity for the people to retake control of Congress, kick out the special interests, and force the career politicians to jobs outside of government. The people deserve real representation in Congress, not more of the same.