Get Involved

Sherri Ewing

SPC 2016

Homework #4

March 10, 2011

Outline

Term Limits for Congress

I. Introduction

II Limits

A. Senate

B. House of Representative

II. Benefits to Our Country

III. Get Involved

Today I would like to talk to you about the fact that there are currently no time limits for members of the Senate or the House of Representatives to be in office. This means that once you are able to get into these offices, the only thing you really have to concentrate on is staying there. This begs the question as to whether or not it is helpful to a nation to have the same people with the same ideas holding public office for an indefinite period of time.

Let us talk about some simple facts. First, the House of Representative seat is good for two years and then comes up for re-election. The Senate seat, on the other hand, is good for six years before it comes up for re-election. Let me give you an example of how ridiculous this can be. The Democratic Representative for Hawaii has been serving in both the House and Senate for the last 30 years. That means there has been 30 years of the same ideas and the same special interest groups and whatever else goes on while one is serving in this position.

But there is some light at the end of the tunnel and this is my second point. According to the Washington Post, 2011 will have the highest number of retiring Senators ever. In 2010 there were 10 and in 2011 it is expected that there will be 23 retirees. (Cillizza, 2011) Whether Republican or Democrat, this can only be a good thing. With new people there is the promise of fresh ideas, new outlooks and perspectives, and I believe, a better chance of actually getting some things done.

Today there is a continuing movement that is pushing to have these terms limited. Just like the president is limited to two four-year terms, Congress should be as well. Senate seats should be limited to two terms and the House seats should be...