# Understanding Congressional Term Limits

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would limit how long members of Congress can serve consecutively. Right now, there's no limit—a senator or representative can theoretically serve for 50 years straight if voters keep reelecting them. This proposal would change that by imposing term limits for the first time.

Here's what the limits would be: Senators would be allowed to serve a maximum of two consecutive six-year terms (12 years total), after which they'd have to sit out for at least two years before they could run again. Representatives would be allowed to serve a maximum of six consecutive two-year terms (12 years total), with the same two-year waiting period before they could run again. The bill includes an interesting grandfather clause for current members of Congress—anyone serving during the 2023-2024 session could continue serving unlimited consecutive terms, but would then be subject to the new limits once their current streak ends.

The practical effect would be significant for voters and politicians alike. Voters would lose the ability to indefinitely reelect their preferred representatives, and long-serving members would eventually be forced out of office. Supporters argue this would reduce the advantage of incumbency and bring fresh perspectives to Congress. Critics worry it could reduce experienced legislators' influence, shift more power to lobbyists and staff who have institutional knowledge, and force out popular representatives voters want to keep. For this amendment to actually become law, it would need to pass both the House and Senate with two-thirds majorities, then be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures—a very high bar that makes passage unlikely.

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

Van Orden, Derrick

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the number of consecutive terms that a Senator or Representative may serve. Senators who serve two consecutive terms and Representatives who serve six consecutive terms become ineligible to serve until the second Congress that begins after their last consecutive term. This term limit shall not apply to any Member in the 118th Congress unless there is a break in the Member's service. Additionally, if a person is appointed to fill a vacancy, the appointed term does not count towards the consecutive term limit unless the person serves more than three years as a Senator or one year as a Representative.