[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 47 (Monday, April 15, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3309-S3310]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              TERM LIMITS

  Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an important 
project. In the next couple of weeks, the Senate will vote for the very 
first time in history on a proposed constitutional amendment to limit 
the terms of individuals in the U.S. Congress. This is, indeed, 
historic. While people are familiar with term limits, because they have 
applied to the President since the 1950's, and while 40-some States 
have term limits as it relates to other public officials, the U.S. 
Congress has never been term limited.
  It is an exciting opportunity to know that the Judiciary Committee of 
this Senate for the first time in history has sent to the floor of the 
Senate, with bipartisan support, a proposed amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States that would provide the States with 
the chance to add to the Constitution, limits on Members' terms in the 
U.S. House and Senate.
  People might say, why is that important? I think it is important from 
a number of points of view. I think that the biggest perk of all in 
Government is the perk of incumbency. The No. 1 campaign reform ought 
to be to level the playing field every couple of terms for Members of 
the Senate and every several terms for Members of the House and let new 
people have an opportunity to bring their fresh approach and their 
recent experience into Government from the private sector.
  Steven Moore of the CATO Institute eloquently phrased the results of 
his study. He indicated clearly that if we were to have had term limits 
we already would have passed a balanced budget amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States. It would have passed the House and 
Senate in the years 1990, 1992, and in the year 1994. We would have had 
at a much earlier date the therapeutic value of the line-item veto, 
major reforms that encounter the resistance of career congressional 
individuals who have been passed long ago.
  It is interesting to note that this study also indicated that there 
are several things that did pass which would not have passed, had there 
been term limits. Moore, of the CATO Institute, indicates that the last 
two pay increases for Congress would not have passed had we had term 
limits, and the last two tax increases on the people of this great 
country would not have passed, had we had term limits.
  It is time for this body, along with the House of Representatives, to 
vote to allow the American people, through their States, to embrace 
term limits for the Congress if they choose to. The U.S. Senate and the 
U.S. House cannot enact term limits. But we can offer the opportunity 
to the States through a proposed constitutional amendment. We should do 
that and do it now. It is a way of inviting the people into the process 
of Government. For too long the Congress has slammed shut the door of 
self-government in the face of the American people. It is time to 
welcome them back.
  In conjunction with the vote later this month on term limits, I am 
pleased to announce an exciting experiment in online democracy. It is 
the first ever congressional online petition. This is a way for the 
people of the United States of America to register their views on term 
limits with the U.S. Senate, and to do so at a place through electronic 
mail. I refer Members to the chart entitled ``Term limits'' at 
``jashcroft.senate.gov.'' which is the address for term limits on e-
mail.
  In addition to the e-mail address, you can also register your 
feelings on term limits by going to any number of home pages which will 
refer you to the term limits home page here in the Senate. For 
instance, the CNN home page, the C-SPAN home page, the America online 
home page, the netscape home page, the politics USA home page will all 
allow individuals to click to the term limits petition, where 
individuals can express themselves to the U.S. Congress.
  This is an unusual petition made possible by the technology. I quote 
one of our first signers of the petition, Matthew Lovelace, who says, 
``Your project puts power in the hands of the people, power that 
bureaucracy and big Government have taken away.'' He is one of about 
thousands upon thousands of individuals that have already signed the 
term limits petition that is online and available to people all across 
the United States of America. It is not a petition for registration. It 
will not cause any specific election to happen. It is a petition of 
communication to send a message from the American people to the Members 
of this Congress. It began last Wednesday and it is fully underway now.
  The new technology has the potential to help us redefine the way 
citizens and communities participate in our democracy. Normally, a 
petition is an event that you sign and say, ``So long.'' You never see 
it again. You are not part of it in any sense, other than your name. 
The term limits petition, however, is one electronically that can allow 
you to see on a regular basis how many people have signed up, where 
Members of the Senate are in terms of the petition, and get views of 
public officials and others who have stated their views and written 
about term limits as a concept. Further, there can be updates through 
e-mail to individuals who request updates on the term limit petition.
  The U.S. News reports that there are close to 300,000 Worldwide Web 
sites, and to have a term limits Worldwide Web site is just a way of 
providing the access to American people and people around the world to 
a concept whose time has come.
  I do not think there is any better issue that could demonstrate the 
new technology than term limits. The new technology is designed to give 
people greater access and term limits will give people greater access 
to Government. If interactive technology at its core is about the 
increased deliberation, so, too, is term limitation.
  Term limits also help to ensure accountability, and that new people 
and new ideas find their way into Government, and that we have 
competitive elections.
  In 1994, 91 percent of all Congressmen who stood for reelection were 
returned to Washington. Term limits would eliminate the single biggest 
perk in the electoral system--the perk of incumbency. It is time that 
we simply say to individuals, yes, you are valuable, yes, you have 
served well, but there are thousands of people across America

[[Page S3310]]

with the capacity to serve well and to have an opportunity to bring 
their creativity to Washington, DC.
  Dennis Holland of Connecticut suggested, when he contacted my office 
this weekend, that the Internet and Worldwide Web are the natural place 
for the free flow of individuals' ideas. I believe they are. That is 
why we have opened this link of communication for the American people. 
I will be a part of this free flow of ideas when I appear on America 
Online chat tonight from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. We will continue to update 
the Senate on this exciting experiment. I encourage other Members of 
the Senate to sign the petition to express themselves for or against 
term limits. That will be made available to individuals across America 
who participate in this new process of communicating about an 
opportunity for America, an opportunity for communication and for 
reform.
  I was Governor of the State of Missouri for two terms. The 
constitution of Missouri providently provides and wisely includes a 
provision that we would limit Governors to two terms. Members of the 
house and senate in Missouri are limited, as are other members of the 
State executive. The President is limited in the terms that he can 
serve. It is a way or an avenue of opening up Government to the people, 
which we should explore.
  The House and Senate of the United States, in a couple of weeks, will 
have an opportunity to send to the people in their States a proposed 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States to allow them to 
embrace term limits as a national concept for the Congress. It is one 
which I hope they will embrace, and I hope we will give them the 
opportunity to do so.
  I look forward to making further appearances as we approach the time 
for this body to act on term limits. I look forward to seeing the 
people of America tonight when we are on the America Online program 
regarding term limits between 9 and 10 p.m. eastern daylight time.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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