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Congressional Term Limits - An urgent cause!

I am a proud citizen of this country and consider myself a staunch Conservative, maybe even a Libertarian. I believe that the Founding Fathers have been abandoned to a significant extent and that we MUST get back to a Citizen-run government and not one run by career politicians -- or our nation is doomed.

In order to create a Citizen-run Congress I think we MUST ratify an amendment to the US Constitution which:

* Limits the time that members of Congress may serve
* Prohibits them from having their "Cadillac" pension rights
* Requires them to participate in Social Security, IRA's, 401(k)'s, etc.
* Prohibits them from having their "Cadillac" health care plans
* Prohibits them from exempting themselves from legislation
* Prohibits them from EVER participating in lobbying activities after being in Congress

Yes, I know Jim DeMint (one of my heroes) introduced a term limit amendment in 2009. Yes, I know that several other organizations have fleshed out amendment proposals. I have read them all and, frankly, I don't think they go far enough. We can reasonably debate the finer points of the limit on time of service, but I feel we must take advantage of the citizen fervor building right now to build a state-by-state movement to get something like my amendment in the Constitution.

Please go to my website and review it:
kitwilliams.com/amendment
And, please, pass this along to whomever you think may help build the momentum to make this happen.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Kit Williams
Nashville TN USA

Tags: amendment, congress, constitution, limits, term

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Comment by Resistance Patriot on February 9, 2010 at 10:55am: IMHO: We will never totally do away with career politicians UNLESS we implement term limits. 2 terms and you're OUTTA HERE!! That would not give them enough time to become entrenched and eventually corrupt.

Comment by Joshua Hammer on February 4, 2010 at 3:59pm: I guess we will have to agree to disagree. That is the great thing about the Tea party movement, we have many disagreements on the how of getting our country back,but we agree that what we have been doing for the past 100 yrs. has been a slow eroding of the principles that made this country great. I will never again think that my duty stops at the voting booth. I will learn from and educate everyone I meet about the wonderful document we have in the constitution. I yearn to see a day come back when the common farmer and laborer can argue the specific merits of the constitution with the most savvy of lawyers. We don't have a constitutional crisis, we have an education crisis.

Here is another quote from the great American Benjamin Franklin "One who would sacrifice Liberty for Security deserves neither."

Comment by Kit Williams on February 4, 2010 at 11:41am: I'll add only one more remark. Someone once said -- the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Comment by Joshua Hammer on February 3, 2010 at 5:53pm: I think the job should be made one of the poorest paying, poorest benefit laden jobs in America. These guys should be doing it from the humble want to be a public servant. Take the perks and the money from it and they won't want to stay long. If they want to continue serving for the paltry sum that we give them, they can ask US, their employers, for a contract extension of another term. If WE don't believe they have done their job well, WE have the obligation and responsibility to send them home for someone who WE believe will do a better job. We have the power. We have the duty.

I will not capitulate that duty and responsibility to a law or amendment because I am to lazy to do MY job. We all should be very concerned that we are so lazy and complacent as that we are all to ready to give up OUR liberty so we can go on autopilot. We can say "He'll be out in a couple years, so I can stay home and watch some more 'Wheel of Fortune'." THAT is the real problem in our country. US! WE have become all too complacent with OUR civic duties because it inconveniences us. Now we want to amend the constitution so we can capitulate our civic duties. It is our liberties that we would be giving up. It is , for me, an argument of consistency with the constitution and the founders intent, nothing more. They never thought WE would become so complacent. I understand why the congressmen do what they do. They don't do it because WE won't hold them accountable. It inconveniences us.

As far as the job is concerned, it is a normal job. It just takes exceptional people to do it. It is OUR job to make sure we keep the job filled with exceptional people. I agree with you on a lot of what you say, but I have to disagree on those points.

Comment by Kit Williams on February 3, 2010 at 5:27pm: I've heard many arguments against term limits but this is the 1st time I've heard it's about liberty. For crying out loud, this is the whole problem in a nutshell -- this ISN'T a normal job. These folks are supposed to go to Washington, set a budget, pass some laws when they are needed, then go back home. There should never be anything like a "career politician" -- it is NOT a career. Machinists, pilots, physicians, school teachers -- those can be careers -- but not politics! And lobbying is the most serious corrupting influence in Washington and, I'm sorry, but no one should ever be allowed to vote on legislation and then return to persuade former colleagues on the same issues. It is too tempting for almost anyone.

Comment by Joshua Hammer on February 2, 2010 at 5:07pm: I'm an anti-term limits guy. What other profession can you choose and be forced to retire after doing a good job for as long as you want to? It is a simple liberty issue with me. If you are a machinist, and you're good at it, should you be forced to retire at the age of forty eight? or 39? or whatever we determine the length of your career should be? It sounds kinda' totalitarian to me. We want you in this profession, but after a certain length of time that is predetermined, you have to quit no matter how much your employer loves you. If he does a poor job of representing us, we the employer can relieve him of his job whenever his term is up. We're their employer. We decide if we want them to work for us or not. We shouldn't be willing to give away our power or our liberty so easily. We want more liberty, not less.

We don't need to let our congressmen get so comfy. I think we should cut their salaries in half. Make them fund retirement the same way we do. They should have to pay for their own health plans with no taxpayer subsidy. They most certainly should have to abide by every single law they make. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Bribery and graft should be treated as treason.

I have a problem with the lobbying for the same reason I have a problem with term limits. I know of no other profession that says that when you are done in this profession, you can be anything you want, but THAT. It is a liberty issue also. If they want to sign a contract when they run for office to not be a lobbyist, then so be it. If they are not willing, you the voter should think about that when we go into the voting booth. Let him limit his own liberty if he wants, but lets not us do it.