GOP senators propose congressional term limits

Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) introduced two sweeping legislative proposals Tuesday to implement a slew of reforms in Washington, including congressional term limits. 

The “Make Washington Work” plan intends to reform “the dysfunctional and tired ways of thinking in Washington” with three constitutional amendments and one bill. Among other things, the proposals would institute congressional term limits, an idea that has grown in prominence and support in recent years.

{mosads}”I’ve been a member of the United States Senate for four months, and it’s as dysfunctional as you think it is – government needs to be completely reinvented. If you were going to create a federal government system today, it sure wouldn’t be what we have now,” Scott said in a statement.

“That career politicians’ gravy train needs to come to an end. It’s clear that now more than ever it will be an uphill climb, but I’m committed to fighting for the people of Florida. I won’t back down.”

“I knew Washington was dysfunctional, gummed up and not moving, but it’s worse than I ever thought. The Make Washington Work plan is a solution that will help unclog the dysfunction in Washington by creating term limits and eliminating automatic pay raises for Members of Congress,” Braun added. 

The plan proposes constitutional amendments that would require a supermajority, or two-thirds, of each chamber of Congress to approve a raise on any tax or fee, provide a modified version of line-item veto authority for the president and establish 12-year term limits for the House and Senate. 

Current members of Congress would be grandfathered in or would have the limits commence at the beginning of their next elected term.

The proposal also includes a bill to reform the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to eliminate automatic pay raises for members of Congress. 

Scott and Braun, two Senate freshmen who were elected in November’s midterm elections, both campaigned against what they saw as a state of dysfunction on Capitol Hill and vowed to fight to change it once they were inaugurated.