Congressional Term Limits Still Needed
Congressman Andy Ogles (R-Tenn) proposed modifying the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to allow President Trump to run for another term. Currently, a president may not serve more than two terms.
If the proposal were to succeed, it would be unlikely to result in multiple three-term presidents, as the wording is tailored to President Trump’s situation.
‘‘No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.’’
Ogles’ January 23 press release stated:
“It is imperative that we provide President Trump with every resource necessary to correct the disastrous course set by the Biden administration. President Trump has shown time and time again that his loyalty lies with the American people and our great nation above all else. He is dedicated to restoring the republic and saving our country, and we, as legislators and as states, must do everything in our power to support him.”
Given the high threshold for passing a Constitutional amendment, the likelihood of this happening would seem to be zero. And if it were to pass and Trump were to win a third term, he would be 86 years old by the end of that! It’s doubtful anyone wants to see that!
So, a three-term Trump presidency is not a real concern, but all the walking dead remaining in the House and Senate because there are no term limits in Congress IS a real concern.
Term limits for Congress have been discussed in the past, and legislation proposed, but no changes have been made to put an end to the rarefied D.C. creatures — the long-term career politicians. That said, with the Trump administration moving fast and furiously on so many topics, hopefully, term limits are among the many priorities for this administration. Currently, joint resolutions calling for congressional term limits have been introduced in the Senate and the House by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), respectively. It’s time that term-limit legislation finally come to a vote — and pass.
U.S. House Representatives are elected for a two-year period, and U.S. Senators for six-year terms. Cruz-Norman propose limiting U.S. Senators to two six-year terms and members of the U.S. House of Representatives to three two-year terms. Thus, the longest one person could serve in Congress would be 18 years.
Focusing on term limits is a reasonable and fair approach. Assuming a person served both in the House and Senate for the full periods, 18 years is a long enough time to have impact. As well, that opens up opportunities for others to serve. While there are many examples of members of Congress showing age-related cognitive decline and other health issues, this is not about limiting service because of age. Undeniably, someone can be 80 and sharp as a tack. It’s about the total time served.
The cases of U.S. senators and representatives remaining in office well past their expiration dates are numerous. Most recently, the sad story of Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) sparked discussion on both term limits and cognitive testing for elected officials. Granger, 81, served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 28 years (Jan. 3, 1997 to Jan. 3, 2025). She was MIA from Washington, D.C., from the end of July 2024 to mid-November when she returned for an event honoring her. She was not present for about 54 percent of the votes in the House.
Granger was reported living in a retirement community that specializes in memory care. Granger’s son said his mother’s decline had been “very rapid and very difficult.”
The story echoed the last months of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who served in the U.S. Senate for 31 years (Nov. 4, 1992 to Sept. 29, 2023). While not in assisted living, the Senate offices essentially doubled as such for Sen. Feinstein. After missing 91 floor votes during a three-month absence from D.C. due to shingles, Feinstein returned to her job in May 2023 in a wheelchair, looking horribly sick and diminished, somewhat confused when speaking and being managed by a daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Feinstein died a few months later at 90.
The last days of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Also serving until death, Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) was a U.S. Representative from 1997 to 2024 (27 years). He died August 21, 2024, at the age of 87.
In the U.S. Senate for 40 years (since 1985), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has shown signs of mental decline in public settings, including occasions where he has completely frozen:
A timeline of McConnell’s many health issues in recent years is in this Sacramento Bee article. Most recently, McConnell fell and required a wheelchair.
McConnell (finally) has said he won’t seek re-election in 2026.
Recently, another elderly lawmaker, age 81, tumbled on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) fell on the staircase between the Capitol’s second and third floors following the House of Representatives’ kickoff meeting at the start of this year.
ABC reporter John Parkinson was at the scene, which he described as: “Lots of blood, but officer tells me she’s okay as press is cleared from area. She is conscious/ talking.”
Below is a list of some of the members of Congress who are in the octogenarian zone, or close, as well as one senator who is now a nonagenarian!
Name, Years in Office, Age
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), 2011-current (Senate) (14 years), 79
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), 2003-current (22 years), 83
Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), 1992-current (33 years), 84
Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), 1996-current (29 years), 83
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), 1997-current (28 years), 80
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), 1981-current (Senate) / 1975–1981 (House) (50 years), 91
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), 1981-current (44 years), 85
Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), 2013-current (12 years), 80
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), 2013-current (Senate) / 1976–2013 (House) (49 years), 78
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), 1985-current (40 years), 83
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 1987-current (38 years), 84
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), 2009-current (16 years), 80
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), 1981-current (44 years), 87
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 2007-current (Senate) / 1991–2007 (House) (34 years), 82
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 1991-current (34 years), 86
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), 2011-current (14 years), 82
Sen. Richard Blumenthal may be experiencing age-related health issues. This video shows his hands shaking.
Rep. Grace Napolitano (88) ended her 26-year career representing California on January 3, 2025.
One explanation why some of our elderly elected officials remain in office when they are no longer capable may be that they are delusional. That delusion may be multi-layered. They may believe they are “entitled” to remain in office. Or they may think they still are competent to do their jobs — and no one near them is telling them otherwise (as the folks near them may have financial incentive to not be truthful).
Some, such as Pelosi, may be immersed in the power and wealth they have acquired by way of their elected office — and want to retain it — with the idea of “public service” long gone (or maybe it never was part of their makeup). Or, they may very simply be experiencing cognitive loss of varying degrees, and their staff and handlers are “covering” for them.
There is no better example of this than our mentally challenged former president, Joe Biden, the definition of a career politician permanently latched to the government teat. Reports post-November 2024 indicated he regretted his decision to drop out of the 2024 race for the presidency and believed he could have defeated Donald Trump. That is delusional.
More politicians should consider the words of former President Jimmy Carter, who said he was looking forward to being “citizen Carter” after leaving the White House. The idea of leaving public service in due time is a concept lost on too many elected officials, some of whom have turned their offices into the conduits for great wealth and enrichment to themselves. One Democrat in December did announce her retirement, so she could “set a better example.” Sixty-eight-year-old Rep. Annie Juster (D-N.H.) ended her time in the House on Jan. 3, 2025, where she’d served since Jan. 3, 2013.
Of course, if more elected officials can’t make the right choices (which seems to be the situation), imposed term limits should eliminate the problems created by a small but powerful group of essentially permanent senators and representatives.
Maria Fotopoulos writes about the connection between overpopulation and biodiversity loss, and from time to time other topics that confound her. On Facebook.
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