Draining the Swamp: Constitutional Amendment for Term Limits Will Be Introduced Next Year

Draining the Swamp: Constitutional Amendment for Term Limits Will Be Introduced Next Year
Published: 09 Dec, 2016
2 min read

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Representative Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) announced Friday in an op-ed in The Washington Post that they will be introducing a constitutional amendment to implement term limits for Congress.

"On Election Day, the American people made a resounding call to “drain the swamp” that is modern Washington. Yet on Capitol Hill, we seem mired in the same cycle of complacency: The game hasn’t changed, and the players remain the same," Cruz and DeSantis write.

Both lawmakers say that while congressional term limits have been prevented by a "permament professional class," the solution has broad support from the public. Cruz and DeSantis are working to implement a policy position championed by President-elect Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

"Passing term limits will demonstrate that Congress has actually heard the voice of the people," they write.

The constitutional amendment that will be introduced when the 115th Congress convenes will call for a limit of two terms for U.S. senators and three terms for House members. That would mean senators could serve only 12 years while members of the lower chamber would be limited to 6 years.

a Rasmussen survey

Passing a constitutional amendment in Congress would require two-thirds approval from members of the House and the Senate and then would need to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Cruz and DeSantis call on Republicans specifically to get behind the measure as the party now has full control of the legislative branch. Yet, the biggest challenge for both lawmakers in a political environment that has not only become increasingly hyperpartisan, but personal, is getting Democrats on board.

There is no way a constitutional amendment to implement term limits will pass without support from Republicans and Democrats and then it will need to be ratified by 38 states. It is a tall order, and arguably a long shot, but victory in Congress alone would be a big win for the incoming Trump administration.

Photo Credit: Orhan Cam / shutterstock.com

IVP Donate

You Might Also Like

Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Voter ID is treated like a five-alarm fire in American politics. That reaction says more about our dysfunctional political system than it does about voter ID itself. ...
06 Feb, 2026
-
3 min read
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
While much of the U.S. was slammed with severe winter weather over the weekend, volunteers for Oklahoma State Question 836 – which would end the use of taxpayer-funded closed primaries – made a final push to get their campaign to over 200,000 petition signatures....
27 Jan, 2026
-
3 min read
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
NEW POLL: California Governor’s Race Sees “None of the Above” Beat the Entire Democratic Field
A new statewide poll conducted by the Independent Voter Project finds California’s independent voters overwhelmingly support the state’s nonpartisan primary system and express broad dissatisfaction with the direction of state politics....
12 Jan, 2026
-
4 min read