House GOP keeps intact term limits for chairmen

House Republicans will keep intact the six-year term limit for committee chairmen and ranking members, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Wednesday.

Boehner told Republican House members that the GOP Steering Committee had decided to keep in place the limit, which differs from a more seniority-based chairmanship system for House Democrats.

"The current rule will stand," Boehner told the House Republican Conference, according to remarks forwarded by his office.

The GOP first instituted the term limit rules for chairmen after taking control of the House in 1995, but Democrats reversed that rule change upon taking back the House in 2007.

The current GOP rule allows for the GOP Steering Committee to submit a waiver for the term-limits in some circumstances.