61st Anniversary of Presidential Term Limits
Highlights Need for Congressional Term Limits
(Alexandria, VA.) –This week marked the 61st anniversary of the Twenty-second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishing Presidential term limits. The Twenty-second Amendment of the United States Constitution created a term limit for the President of the United States of two four-year terms. The amendment was ratified by three-fourths of the states on February 27, 1951. This anniversary and a $15 trillion national debt highlight the need for congressional terms limits.
If enacted, Congressional term limits would greatly benefit the country. Term limits have shown to have positive effects on legislative branches at both state and local levels. Term limits encourage competition and participation in elections. Also, term limits create legislative bodies that are more responsive to the needs of their citizens, which fosters an environment where politicians are less concerned with re-election and not beholden to special interests.
A leading proponent of congressional term limits Representative Joe Walsh ( R-IL) reaffirmed his support for term limits stating in a February 28, 2012 press release, “I came to Congress to change the way this town does business and to restore the founding principles put in place by our Founding Fathers. If we are serious about getting this country back on track, we need to change the process that got us into this mess. Term limits are essential to changing this destructive process. 61 years ago it started with placing term limits on the President and today we need to fight to pass Congressional term limits.”
“I have pledged to serve only three terms in Congress. Keeping the same Members year after year only feeds political corruption as politicians continue to lose touch with the people they were elected to represent. This anniversary is a great opportunity to bring up the need for Congressional term limits, and it is time to stop this unproductive cycle and apply term limits to Congress,” concluded Walsh.
Our Generation applauds Rep. Walsh’s efforts to enact term limits legislation and urges Congress and the states to take swift action on the issue. Our Generation, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization founded in 2009 to research, educate and promote long-term free market solutions to today’s public policy concerns.