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Alternative to Term Limits

Posted on 11/17/16 at 9:16 am
Posted by BornKjun
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2008
954 posts
Posted on 11/17/16 at 9:16 am
I don't think there's a good chance term limits will pass based on some reporting I've come across.

I think there are good arguments for and against term limits.

Proposed compromise:

Term limits for the House of Representatives. There are a bunch of these people: 435 to be exact. There's less of a reason to have professional politicians in the House. I've seen proposals for 3, 2-year terms. I think this is a little short. I'd advocate 5, 2-year terms. A decade is enough to gain experience of being a House Member while also being able to use some of that experience.

Here's the unique idea: no specified term limits for Senators. Actually, no defined terms at all. INSTEAD, allow State legislatures to call for a special election. As most of you know, the States selected Senators before the 17th Amendment changed it to a popular vote. This idea is a compromise between repealing the 17th Amendment and instituting term limits. Current Senators stay in place. However, a state government can pass a bill to hold a new election for a specific Senate seat. It's basically a recall on an elected official. The thing is that the person being challenged can still keep their seat by winning the challenge that is determined by a popular election within that state. So, a popular vote still elects US Senators, but the state government decides if and when to hold these elections. Thus, some Senators would rarely get challenged and, thus, rarely have to worry about running elections. These Senators can focus entirely on their job and hold senior positions within the Senate. Some Senate positions would be constantly be challenged. These positions would result in new blood and tip the balance of power in the Senate.

Issues? Any thing bad about the proposal? Good?
Posted by saints5021
Louisiana
Member since Jul 2010
17442 posts
Posted on 11/17/16 at 9:17 am to
Terrible idea...Term limits and repeal of the 17th amendment
This post was edited on 11/17/16 at 9:18 am
Posted by BornKjun
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2008
954 posts
Posted on 11/17/16 at 9:29 am to
The problem is you have to get Senators to vote against themselves having a chance at a long career in the Senate.

It's not likely to happen.

Under this idea, some Senators might actually like the prospect of not having to worry about elections and might think that the likelihood of their seat being challenged is small. Republicans in heavily red states and vice versa, for instance.

Even if 40 Senators are scared of being recalled, that leaves 60 to pass the bill easily.

At the end of the day, voters can pressure State legislatures to pass a bill to hold an election and voters pick their Senators. Thus, no one is really safe.
Posted by saints5021
Louisiana
Member since Jul 2010
17442 posts
Posted on 11/17/16 at 9:37 am to
The only way for term limits to work is to grandfather in the current members.
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