# Term Limits for Congress: What This Proposed Amendment Would Do

This proposal would change the Constitution to limit how long members of Congress can serve. Right now, there are no term limits—senators and representatives can serve as many terms as they want and keep getting reelected indefinitely. This amendment would put a cap on that. While the specific details aren't fully visible in the source material provided, these types of proposals typically limit senators to two or three terms (12 to 18 years) and representatives to three to six terms (6 to 12 years).

The main idea behind term limits is that they would force fresh faces into Congress and prevent long-serving politicians from accumulating too much power or becoming disconnected from their constituents. Supporters argue this could reduce the influence of special interests who build relationships with long-term lawmakers, and it might encourage politicians to focus on governing rather than constantly campaigning for reelection. On the flip side, critics worry that term limits would actually give more power to lobbyists and staff members who understand how Congress works, since newly elected representatives would be less experienced. They also argue that voters already have the power to impose term limits by simply voting out politicians they don't want.

Importantly, this isn't just a regular bill—it's a constitutional amendment proposal, which means it would need to pass both the House and Senate with two-thirds majorities, then be ratified by three-fourths of the states. That's a very high bar, which is why constitutional amendments are rare. This particular proposal would fundamentally change how Congress operates and who gets to serve, affecting millions of voters' choices about their representatives.

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the number of terms that a Member of Congress may serve.

Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-OK-1]

 <p>This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Representatives to three terms and Senators to two terms. Terms beginning before the ratification of this amendment do not count towards term limits.</p>