Topics in the News: Term Limits
Bernie Sanders on Government Reform
: Jun 29, 2019
Rotate judges on Supreme Court, like term limits
Sanders's "rotating judges" idea actually makes some sense. At the Democratic debate, the moderators never raised how to handle the Supreme Court's emboldened conservative majority.They came closest to tackling the issue in an exchange about Roe v.
Wade and what the candidates would do to protect abortion rights if it were overturned. Sanders replied by saying he opposed adding additional justices to the bench, a solution several other candidates have proposed. "I do not believe in packing the
court," Sanders said. But "I do believe that constitutionally we have the ability to rotate judges to other courts."
At a forum in April, Sanders offered up a similar proposal. "What may make sense is, if not term limits, then rotating judges to the
appeals court as well. Letting them get out of the Supreme Court and bringing in new blood." The proposal is constitutionally dubious and might require an amendment, but it's not without merit if it gets rid of corrosive confirmation battles.
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Source: The New Republic magazine on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Beto O`Rourke on Government Reform
: Jun 5, 2019
Term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court
A key part of O'Rourke's voting rights plan would be to set term limits for politicians, to give young people incentive to vote for new candidates. He proposes limiting membership of the US House of Representatives and Senate to 12 years, and requiring
Supreme Court justices--currently appointed for life--to step down after 18 years. Those moves would require a constitutional amendment, which requires a 2/3 majority vote in both the House and Senate, and ratification by 3/4 of state legislatures.
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Source: Reuters news service on 2020 Democratic primary
Pete Buttigieg on Government Reform
: Mar 19, 2019
Need to depoliticize Supreme Court
We need some kind of structural reform that makes the court less political. We can't go on where every time there's a vacancy, there's this apocalyptic ideological battle. One idea that I think is interesting is, you have 15 members, but only ten
of them are appointed in the political fashion. Five of them can only be seated by unanimous agreement of the other ten. There are other ideas that have been floated too about term limits or about rotating justices up from the appellate bench.
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Source: Fox News Sunday 2019 interviews for 2020 Democratic primary
Beto O`Rourke on Government Reform
: Mar 13, 2019
Supports term limits for Congress
One of O'Rourke's campaign promises was to limit the number of terms he served. Term limits were an issue O'Rourke believed in, but it weakened his hand as a freshman in Congress, where long-term ambition translates to seats on powerful committees.
O'Rourke was initially appointed to the Veterans Affairs Committee. He would come to dislike Washington. O'Rourke tried defining himself as an independent voice in Congress, willing to buck party orthodoxy.
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Source: Joe Hagan in Vanity Fair on 2020 Democratic primary
Beto O`Rourke on Government Reform
: Aug 17, 2018
Committed to personal term limit for serving in Congress
Q: How can you stay sane and keep your humility if you win?BO: When [my wife] Amy and I were first talking about running for Congress in 2011-2012, we decided that we would do term limits, and not serve more than four years.
In part it was, "I just don't want you to be an ass; I haven't met somebody in this line of work who doesn't become one, that doesn't think that they are so important only they can do it." She's my answer to that. And our kids too.
They bring you back down to earth. They could care less about Ted Cruz or what we are doing in the campaign right now. It's hard to do this with little kids, but it also continuously grounds you and reminds you who you are doing it for.
Whatever you can do to make sure you never take yourself or your situation too seriously, that's the key. And for me it's Amy and the kids who help me with that.
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Source: Austin Chronicle on 2018 Texas Senate race
Larry Hogan on Government Reform
: Jan 31, 2018
End partisan gerrymandering; make term limits
Help us put the issue of term limits on the ballot this year for the people of Maryland to decide this issue for themselves in November. And in order to uphold the public trust and to truly represent the interests of all the people we were elected to
serve, let's put partisanship and self-interest aside and join together with the overwhelming majority of Marylanders to end the practice of partisan gerrymandering in Maryland.
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Source: 2018 Maryland State of the State address
Beto O`Rourke on Principles & Values
: Mar 29, 2017
Supports Congress term limits; leaving House after 6 years
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat and ex-punk rocker who pulled a stunning upset to win his House seat six years ago, plans to declare his candidacy for the Senate seat held by Ted Cruz. O'Rourke's fledgling campaign has scheduled an announcement in
El Paso, his hometown. He has traveled heavily in Texas over the last three months making contacts, barely concealing his political plans. "I'm very moved to do it,"
O'Rourke, 44, said in an interview, adding that he had reached the "emotional decision" about his candidacy.O'Rourke is a three-term congressman and, as a rare term-limits supporter among Democrats, likely would have been around for just one
additional term in the House. He drew thousands of livestream followers earlier this month by making a cross-country, bipartisan auto journey from San Antonio to Washington with U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, after a snowstorm canceled flights.
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Source: San Antonio Express-News on 2018 Texas Senate race
Beto O`Rourke on Government Reform
: Nov 6, 2012
Members of Congress use our tax dollars to get re-elected
The corruption that plagues our community has to stop, but we need reform and new leadership, especially in D.C. where members of Congress use our tax dollars to get re-elected. I will sponsor a bill to set term limits for representatives, so that they
focus on getting the job done instead of the special interests that keep them in office. I will also ensure you have transparent, ethical governance from your Congressional office.- Term limits. Congressional work should be a job, not a lifestyle
or a gravy train paid for with your tax dollars. I support term limits.
- Constituent Support. My local constituent office will focus on your needs, not electioneering. Expect attentive service and great results.
- Accountability and Transparency.
I will hold regular town hall meetings to ensure you have a Congressman you can talk to--not over the phone via expensive, taxpayer-funded telephonic "town halls".
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Source: 2012 House campaign website, betoforcongress.com, "Issues"
Donald Trump on Government Reform
: Sep 28, 2010
Two-term limit on NYC mayor is a terrible idea
Donald Trump pronounced the 2-term mayoral limit "a terrible idea, an artificial barrier." Terrible perhaps, but not artificial. Mike Bloomberg actually owed his job to that law, which had forced an obviously reluctant Rudy Giuliani to depart from
City Hall. In 2005, when the city council toyed with a plan to extend the limit on everyone's service from 2 terms to 3, the people twice voted to ratify the limit.
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Source: Bloomberg: Money, Power, Politics, by J.Purnick, p.179-186
Mike Bloomberg on Government Reform
: Sep 28, 2010
2005: 8-year term limits; 2009: ran for 3rd term
Influential friends, sensing a lack of impressive mayoral prospects, urged him to run for a 3rd term. As everyone knew, the 2-term mayoral limit law stood in the way. So what? His friends thought he could have it changed.Bloomberg actually owed his
job to that law, which had forced an obviously reluctant Rudy Giuliani to depart from City Hall. Moreover, Bloomberg had consistently and vehemently supported the limits. "This is an outrage!" he exclaimed in 2005, when the city council toyed with a
plan to extend the limit on everyone's service from 2 terms to 3. "There's no organization that I know," Bloomberg had said, "that would put somebody in charge for a long period of time. You always want turnover and change. 8 years is great.
You learn for 4 years. You can do for 4 years."
On October 2, Bloomberg made it official, announcing his 3rd-term plan, citing a "crisis of confidence" in the economy,
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Source: Bloomberg: Money, Power, Politics, by J. Purnick, p.179-186
Jesse Ventura on Government Reform
: Apr 1, 2008
Term limits in Congress would limit lobbyist power
Term limits, in my view, would be a damned good idea. Maybe politicians wouldn't then be quite so beholden to the power of corporate lobbyists. The only lobbyists I ever knowingly met with as governor was one
I used--to try to get a floor vote on a unicameral legislature. Otherwise, I told my staff from the beginning: lobbyists and special interests did not elect me, so why do I need to talk to them now?
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Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.173
Jesse Ventura on Government Reform
: Apr 1, 2008
Term limits for politicians AND for political press
NY Times, Feb. 25, 2001: "The governor decreed that reporters covering him would have to wear a jackal press badge. On the front is the governor, in a finger-pointing, Jesse-Wants-You pose, and beneath that is the reporter's name and organization, and
the words "Official Jackal." On the back is a warning that the governor can revoke the credential 'for any reason.' The governor's office says the new badges are meant to enhance security and accountability. Many new organizations object.
They say what started out as good-natured fun has become demeaning and unprofessional."Even more important than placing term limits on politicians, I believe they should have term limits on Capitol reporters. It would be a good policy, on the part of
newspapers, to do a rotation. In the end, they, they don't take an objective point of view. They start feeding into their own stories what they want to see happen. They get overrun, I think, with the feeling of power--just like career politicians do.
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Source: Don`t Start the Revolution, by Jesse Ventura, p.220-222
Mike Bloomberg on Government Reform
: Jan 16, 2007
2001: opposed Giuliani extending NYC term limit
On the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for people of the Jewish faith--a day of fasting, prayer, introspection, and atonement--Bloomberg floated a trial balloon in a clumsy attempt to override the city's term limits legislation and
extend his final term in office for at least three months.Everybody was terrified and nobody knew what was going to happen. And the thought of changing mayors at that time made a lot of people very, very, very scared.
When he came up with that idea, Giuliani's advisors wanted to do what was right for the city. Interestingly, Bloomberg didn't think so. The only thing I can think of is that Bloomberg was being very closely advised by
Koch, who probably understood the dynamics of politics better than anyone, and might have said to him, "It's a mistake; you can't change constitutional terms."
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Source: Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless, by D. & G. Strober, p.285-286
Mike Gravel on Tax Reform
: Jan 1, 2007
Supports a national sales tax to replace IRS
Gravel’s campaign is based primarily on his ardent support for direct democracy (the National Initiative), but also emphasizes his support for a national sales tax and abolition of the IRS,
immediate withdrawal from the war in Iraq, a single-payer national health care system, and term limits during his campaign.
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Source: Wikipedia.org article, “Mike Gravel”
Mike Gravel on Government Reform
: Dec 25, 2006
Repeal the Electoral College; enact federal term limits
The Gravel Agenda: When elected President by the American people, I will:- Repeal the Electoral College;
- Enact term limits at the federal level;
- Make the The National Initiative part of mainstream political discourse.
-
Ask the American people to enact The National Initiative for Democracy so that you can decide on our agenda and all of the issues that affect your lives.
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Source: 2008 Presidential campaign website, gravel2008.us, “Issues”
Mark Sanford on Local Issues
: Nov 1, 2002
Supports term limits for state legislators
Q: Do you support the current limit of two, four-year terms for South Carolina governors? A: Yes.
Q: Do you support limiting the number of terms for South Carolina state senators and representatives?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support shortening the legislative session in South Carolina?
A: Yes.
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Source: 2002 S.C. Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Mark Sanford on Government Reform
: Nov 4, 2000
Term-limited Congressmen do behave differently
In the large unruly band of Republicans newly elected in the election of 1994, three stand out: Matt Salmon of Mesa, Arizona; Tom Cuburn of Muskogee Oklahoma; and Mark Sanford of Charlestown, South Carolina. They vowed that they would serve only three
2-year terms and then leave the House of Representatives. Wonder of wonders, they actually kept their word, declining to run a fourth term in 2000. Sanford’s message is clear and consistent: term limits do make a difference.
Imagine how different our government would be if the entire House of Representatives were term-limited. The tiny band of self-limited Congressmen did vote differently. The explanation here by Sanford is that the self- limited house members “don’t have
to preoccupy themselves with reelection and career. Reelection fever is what leads politicians to exaggerate good news and water down bad news. People want something a lot simpler: they want the truth. A lot of people in Washington seem to miss this.
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Source: The Trust Committed to Me, by Mark Sanford, p. ix-xi
Mark Sanford on Government Reform
: Nov 4, 2000
Supported 6- year congressional term-limits
The Contract with America’s tenth and most controversial item was congressional term limits. I gladly signed the pledge, but even as we gathered to sign the Contract, it was doubtful whether there would be enough votes to pass any form of term limits
amendment to the constitution.That we could even bring term limits to the floor for a vote was something of a milestone. Since the first Congress in 1789, more than 140 term limit bills had been introduced.
The debate on term limits promised to be rough, and probably unsuccessful. Members were divided into three camps: those, like me, who strongly supported a three-term limit, those who strongly favored a six- term house limit; and those who opposed
any and all term limits.
Those of us who had already pledged to limit our own terms could see that the proposal to enact term limits by constitutional amendment was dead in the water. Passage would require a two-thirds majority of both House and Senate
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Source: The Trust Committed to Me, by Mark Sanford, p. 14-15
Mark Sanford on Government Reform
: Nov 4, 2000
Pledged never to take any PAC money
While my GOP primary opponent Van Hipp and I saw pretty much eye-to-eye on the deficit, federal spending and other issues, we parted company over term limits and PACs. Hipp had received baskets of PAC money during the campaign.
I’d taken none and pledged never to take any, if elected.On the issue of PAC money, my general election opponent,
Robert Barber, raised the point that he did not want to unilaterally disarm when it comes to fundraising. Over the last five years in Washington,
I have heard his argument used by Republicans and Democrats alike. In politics we never seem to like the idea of just leading the way because we think it right or what we believe.
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Source: The Trust Committed to Me, by Mark Sanford, p. 40&46
Bill Weld on Government Reform
: Oct 19, 1996
Supports term limits; they bring in fresh blood
A resident pressed the candidates on term limits, an issue mostly untouched in the campaign so far. Weld, a supporter, said he is as an example of fresh blood that came into politics and made a difference.
Kerry, who opposes term limits, said the real issue involves reforming campaign finance laws. "The problem is money--the average person can't run," Kerry said.
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Source: Harvard Crimson on Kerry/Weld debates
Page last updated: Jul 22, 2019