By Andy Dinniman and John Eichelberger

February 27 is National Term Limits Day commemorating the 74th anniversary of the adoption of the 22nd Amendment that limiting a president to two terms in office.  Term limits for president had been debated over at the original Constitution Convention, and during the presidencies of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  Although nothing emerged from the debate, Washington established the unwritten tradition that a president served no more than two terms.  Although several presidents had attempted to seek a third term, none succeeded until Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, as the nation confronted the possibility of entering World War II.

In 1944, Thomas Dewey who was challenging Roosevelt, proposed during the campaign, a constitutional amendment to limit presidents to two terms.  While Dewey lost the election, it was an idea that gained popularity with some states taking action to propose a constitutional amendment limiting the president’s term in office.  In 1946, many candidates running for office advocated presidential term limits.  In March of 1947, Congress passed the legislation that would pass the 22nd Amendment and the state ratification process began.  Pennsylvania was the 15th state to ratify the 22nd Amendment on April 29, 1947.

Harry Truman who was President when the 22nd Amendment was ratified, was grandfathered in, so the amendment did not affect him.  However, Truman believed two terms were enough for any occupant in the White House.  Believing that since he had served all but 82 days of Roosevelt’s fourth term plus one full elected term, he had served two terms and opted not to run again in 1952.  Truman hoped that Congress would further act on term limits for itself after the 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951 but has failed to do so.  He was an advocate of congressional term limits for the remainder of his life.

We celebrate National Term Limits Day now to both remember the passage of the 22nd Amendment and  to raise awareness of today’s most popular and bipartisan issue – congressional term limits.  A Pew Research poll showed 87 percent of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support congressional term limits.  

With over 151 members who pledged to support congressional term limits now serving in Congress, we are seeing movement to pass congressional term limits.  In the House, House Joint Resolution 12, sponsored by Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, has more than 50 co-sponsors listed on the resolution. Once passed by Congress and ratified by the states, it would limit Representatives to three terms, or 6 years, and Senators to two terms, or 12 years. In the Senate, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas filed Senate Joint Resolution 1, a companion resolution to House Joint Resolution 12 with 15 co-sponsors.  But Congress probably will never pass this legislation?  Right?

So, if Congress won’t pass term limits what can be done?  Just as with the debate over presidential terms in the 1940s, the states can take the initiative, calling for a convention to adopt a congressional term limits amendment.  When enough states request a convention to add a congressional term limits amendment to the Constitution, Congress is bypassed, and the amendment can be proposed by the states for ratification.  Or Congress might see what is happening and act as it did with the 22nd Amendment, and just as in 1945, we saw a record number of candidates in both political parties campaign and be elected advocating term limits.

A growing roster of states have called for a limited convention to propose a congressional term limits amendment to the Constitution.  In Pennsylvania, State Representative Jared Solomon will be proposing the congressional term limits resolution with bipartisan support.  It is essential that the legislature pass this, putting the Keystone State on record for congressional term limits.

This National Term Limits Day, events will be held throughout the nation to bring attention to the need for congressional term limits.  If term limits are good enough for the president, why not for Congress?

Happy Term Limits Day and let’s finish the job and get term limits for congress.

Andy Dinniman and John Eichelberger are Pennsylvania State Co-Chairs for U.S. Term Limits.