Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has a new idea to impose term limits on members of Congress that he hopes will actually allow members to vote on the proposal, even if they want to stay in office forever.
DeSantis on Tuesday introduced a resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution that would limit people to three terms in the House, and just two in the Senate. Term limits is a reasonably popular idea, but according to DeSantis, the trouble has always been getting members who never want to leave to vote for the change.
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has proposed a new term limits plan that would allow current members to serve as long as they can, an exemption he hopes will allow a vote on the proposal. Image: AP
His way around that is to allow any current member of Congress hold their seats as long as they can. Then, when they finally retire, pass away or lose an election, the incoming member would be term-limited.
"Americans of all political background overwhelmingly support term limits, yet term limits have floundered in Congress," he said this week. "An approach that phases in congressional term limits reconciles the self-interest of members of Congress with the public's desire to see these changes enacted and gives us the best chance to make term limits a reality."
In an op-ed for the Daily Signal, DeSantis said he would prefer that term limits could be implemented immediately, but said realistically, exempting current members from term limits might be the only way to make the change.
"This way, a sitting member of Congress could vote to enact term limits while doing so in a way that would not end his career," he said. "Because terms limits are so popular, the interest of a member of Congress in staying in office would be congruent with supporting my term limits joint resolution."
DeSantis introduced his proposal along with Reps. Rod Blum (R-Iowa), Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) and Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.).
