Sens. Ted Cruz and Ralph Norman introduce constitutional amendment to impose term limits for Congress

On Tuesday, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Ralph Norman (R-SC) introduced a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress.

The amendment would limit senators to two six-year terms and representatives to three two-year terms from the time of enactment. Cruz has previously presented the amendment in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

The amendment is co-sponsored by 11 Republican senators, including Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mike Lee (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Todd Young (R-IN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Rick Scott (R-FL), Josh Hawley (MO), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

In a statement, Cruz said that term limits are essential for fixing the brokenness of Washington D.C. He urged his colleagues to advance the amendment to the states for ratification into a constitutional amendment.

“Term limits are critical to fixing what’s wrong with Washington, D.C. The Founding Fathers envisioned a government of citizen legislators who would serve for a few years and return home, not a government run by a small group of special interests and lifelong, permanently entrenched politicians who prey upon the brokenness of Washington to govern in a manner that is totally unaccountable to the American people,” Cruz stated to the Daily Wire.

Norman spoke on the relevance of the amendment in a Monday press release, emphasizing that elected office should be a short-term privilege of service, not a career choice.

Nick Tomboulides, executive director of U.S. Term Limits, thanked Cruz for his leadership on the issue, saying that supermajorities of both Republicans and Democrats support term limits.

A two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress is required to propose a constitutional amendment, which must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.

Currently, the President is subject to term limits thanks to the 22nd Amendment, as are 36 governors and 15 state legislatures. U.S. Term Limits reported that between 1964-2018, Congress had a 90% re-election rate, which could be reversed with term limits, offering more candidates a chance to run for office.