Indiana Pursues Term Limits on Membership of the US Congress
Author: The Iowa Standard
The Indiana State House just passed House Joint Resolution 3 (HJR3), which seeks to propose a congressional term limits amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The effort, led by Rep. Dave Hall, co-authored by Reps. Jeter, Karickhoff and Kyle Miller and spearheaded by the nonpartisan nonprofit U.S. Term Limits, passed with bipartisan support of 59 yeas and 33 nays.
HJR3 has bipartisan sponsorship and the support of more than sixty Indiana legislators who have signed the term limits pledge, indicating their support for this important election reform. It’s clear that the people of Indiana agree. According to the latest RMG Research poll, 76% of likely voters in Indiana support term limits on Congress, including strong support among Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike.
State chair for Indiana, Micah Beckwith says, “The Indiana House got it right today in a big way. People I talk to all over
the state are demanding term limits, and the House has heard them loud and clear.”
U.S. Term Limits’ President Philip Blumel commended the Indiana House for addressing the issue of term limits, saying, “The Indiana House of Representatives understands that Congress is reluctant to establish term limits on itself. Consequently, the onus is on the states to pick up the mantle to both propose and ratify the term limits amendment.”
The next stop is a senate committee hearing. If approved by the senate, Indiana will be one of several states applying for a convention to propose term limits on Congress. To become a part of the U.S. Constitution, the term limits amendment must be ratified by 38 states. This milestone for term limits on Congress is a significant step towards bringing citizen legislators to Congress and restoring trust in the democratic process.
Postscript. Power, money, and corruption are endemic to politics. Only term limits can minimize corruption of the political organization. The public will be better served by a continual refreshing of politicians who know that they are only in politics for a limited maximum amount of time. David Landini.
