(NN&V Staff) – U.S. Term Limits, the leading citizen organization working toward the passage of legislative term limits around the country, called on U.S. Rep. John Boehner and likely next House Speaker to restore limits on how many years a member of Congress can serve as the head of a Congressional committee.
Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits, wrote to Boehner on Oct. 21 stating, “I am writing to urge you in the strongest terms possible to reinstate the rule mandating term limits for chairmen of committees of the House.”
The letter reminds House Republican Leader Boehner that in 1995 one of the first acts by the first Republican-controlled House of Representatives was to establish term limits for committee chairs. “This had a very positive impact on the operations of the House,” Blumel said.
“Beyond reducing the corrosive power of seniority, the term limits rule encouraged scores of younger members to take a more active role in shaping policy by offering the opportunity.”
While reiterating U.S. Term Limits continuing support for a Constitutional amendment establishing term limits, Blumel said that, “reinstating term limits on Committee Chairmen will send a strong signal to the American people that the likely new Republican majority is sincere in its drive to clean up the wreckage of the Pelosi tenure.”
One of the first acts taken under the Pelosi speakership was changing the rules to allow committee chairmen to retain their power indefinitely at the discretion of leadership.
“This yet important rollback by Speaker Pelosi of the reforms undertaken in 1994 needs to be reversed so people can be sure that it won’t just be business as usual at the U.S. Capitol Building,” Blumel said.
U.S. Term Limits is the leader of the national movement to enact limitations on terms that elective officials can serve.
(U.S Term Limits is a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy organization that works to promote term limits at all levels of government)
