Since President Donald Trump took office, Capitol Hill has been moving at a fast-and-furious pace implementing new reforms. Among his campaign promises was a measure that would place term limits on members of Congress, and one Alabama representative has announced his support for the measure.
As the co-sponsor of a new resolution that would cap the service of U.S. Congressmen, Mobile-area Representative Bradley Byrne doesn’t mind placing term limits on himself. In a statement, he said that he was “pleased to see President Trump make this a major piece of his campaign agenda.”
“Seats in Congress are owned by the people, not the elected officials,” Rep. Byrne said. “Our Founding Fathers never expected individuals to make a career out of Congressional service, and term limits will allow us to keep fresh blood and ideas in the halls of Congress.”
The legislation, sponsored by Congressman Raul Labrador (R- Idaho), would allow House and Senate members to serve no more than twelve years in either chamber. The resolution would not be retroactive upon its enactment.
Before the bill could be implemented as a Constitutional Amendment, it would first require approval in Congress followed by a ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.
During his campaign, President Trump heavily pushed the need for set term limits on those in Congress.
“We’re going to put on term limits, which a lot of people aren’t happy about, but we’re putting on term limits,” President Trump told 60 Minutes in November. “We’re doing a lot of things to clean up the system.”
Rep. Mo Brooks is also among twelve co-sponsors of House Joint Resolution 50.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.