GOP freshmen propose four-year terms for House members

Three House Republican freshmen on Monday proposed an amendment to the Constitution stipulating that members of the House would be elected every four years, and both congressmen and senators would be term-limited.

The proposed amendment, from Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), would prohibit the election of any person to the House more than three times, and limit senators to just two terms. In doing so, it would put a 12-year limit on both House and Senate terms.

The four-year term for House members, combined with term limits, appears to be aimed at giving House members more than just one year to focus on the job at hand before having to face reelection. In a January op-ed, Ribble and freshman Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.), who co-sponsored the amendment, said members need more time to work on the issues without being interrupted by the campaign:

"Term limits would refresh Congress and inject urgency into the work that needs to be done. It would make legislators prioritize what’s most important and allow them more time to focus on key issues before campaigning for reelection."

Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), another freshman member, also co-sponsored the amendment. The resolution proposing the amendment is H.J.Res. 101.