[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 58 (Wednesday, March 29, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              TERM LIMITS

  (Mr. FIELDS of Louisiana asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FIELDS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to express 
my opposition to the constitutional amendment of term limits.
  Mr. Speaker, term limits of Members are already in the Constitution. 
According to article II, subsection 1, the House of Representatives 
shall be composed of Members chosen by the people every 2 years. So we 
already have term limits, and for those people, I find it very ironic, 
Mr. Speaker, for the people who talk the most and the loudest about 
term limits are the people who have served in this body for over 12 
years.
  So if we really want term limits, I make the suggestion let us lead 
by example. I want every Member who supports term limits to sign the 
term-limits pledge to our contract, which provides they would serve 
``x'' number of years and then resign from office.
  So if you really are for term limits, then I suggest the Members of 
this body sign the pledge to say, ``I will voluntarily limit my term by 
a year certain,'' and if you really want to lead, lead by example and 
not by taking up some amendment that probably will not pass in the 
disguise of the Contract With America. Let us have a contract with our 
district and resign from office after 12 years.


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