Republicans introduce constitutional amendment for term limits in Congress

Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Two Republican members of Congress -- Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida -- introduced a constitutional amendment Thursday that limits terms in both chambers.

Senators would be held to two six-year terms and House members to three two-year terms under the joint resolution.

"For too long, members of Congress have abused their power and ignored the will of the American people," Cruz said in a statement. "Term limits on members of Congress offer a solution to the brokenness we see in Washington, D.C. It is long past time for Congress to hold itself accountable. I urge my colleagues to submit this constitutional amendment to the states for speedy ratification."

Three other Republican senators, Marco Rubio of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and David Perdue of Georgia, co-sponsored the amendment. Cruz proposed a similar amendment in January 2017.

For the amendment to be enacted, it needs to be approved by two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and three-quarters of state legislatures or conventions. The 27th Amendment is the most recent, passed in 1992.

Cruz's Democratic opponent for his Senate seat last November, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, also called for term limits in Congress and introduced similar legislation in 2013.

"We see that the longer you serve in Congress, the less connected, the less responsive, the less accountable you can become to the people you represent," O'Rourke said in a column for Medium last May.

President Donald Trump also has supported term limits for members of Congress, posting on Twitter in April his "full sport and endorsement."