[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              TERM LIMITS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington [Mr. Metcalf] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of term limits. 
You know, term limits is in fact part of our heritage from colonial 
legislatures. There were some colonial legislatures that had a rotation 
in office concept. Besides that, in the Continental Congress during the 
Revolutionary War there was a 3-year term limit. No one could serve for 
more than 3 years.
  In fact, rotation in office was the unwritten rule in the House of 
Representatives for many years after the founding of this country and 
after the Constitution went into effect. It was almost a hundred years, 
after the war between the States, when the average term became 4 years. 
It was the 1920's when the average term became eight years. This tells 
you something.
  Today, over 90 percent, over 90 percent of incumbents win reelection 
if they run for reelection, and term limits is the most important 
political reform that we can make at this time.
  The concept of term limits, of course, is that a Member goes and 
serves in a legislative body and then returns home to live under the 
laws that they have made.
  Washington State had a term limit initiative. It was a 6-year term 
limit initiative, and it passed overwhelmingly there. And I pledged, 
and I said when I ran for Congress, I said I will pledge to serve no 
more than 6 years. The people passed it. I will obey it, regardless if 
it is held constitutional or not. If the people pass it, that is what I 
would consider my duty.
  Over 80 percent of the Republicans are going to vote for term limits 
tomorrow, and what we are asking, and asking very sincerely, just 40 
percent of the Democrats, if 40 percent of the Democrats will join the 
more than 80 percent of the Republicans, we will have the first real 
chance for term limits in this Nation, and I think we should.
  I will work really hard, and I will vote for the 6-year term limit. 
But if that isn't what passes, I think we should be prepared to vote 
for whatever passes and has the best chance to attain term limits for 
this Nation. I think we have a mandate, and the mandate of the last 
election was, very clearly, pass term limits for Congress as Congress 
passed term limits for the Presidency.


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