Section I, No person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives shall serve more than 12 consecutive
years. A minimum of 6 years must intervene before a person who served 12 consecutive years may serve
again. No person shall serve in the U.S. House of Representatives more than 12 years during any 18 year
period. Reapportionment within a district or state shall not change the affects of Section I.
Section II, Upon passage of this amendment, and not less than 8 months prior to a federal general election
that occurs in an even number year, any current members having exceeded the 12 consecutive years
provision shall be replaced by the following method. The forty percent of the members exceeding the 12
consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months shall not be eligible for election to the
U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3 terms. Two years later, the next thirty percent of the
members who exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months at the
time of passage of this amendment, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for
the next 6 years or 3 terms. Four years later, the remaining thirty percent of the members who exceeded the
12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months at the time of passage of this
amendment, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3
terms. Any members reaching the 12 consecutive years provision after passage of this amendment, and not
less than 8 months prior to a federal general election that occurs in an even number year, shall not be eligible
for election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the next 6 years or 3 terms.
Section III, No person elected to the U.S. Senate shall serve more than 12 consecutive years. A minimum of
6 years must intervene before a person who served 12 consecutive years may serve again. No person shall
serve in the U.S. Senate more than 12 years during any 18 year period.
Section IV, Upon passage of this amendment, and not less than 8 months prior to a federal general election
that includes more than 3 U.S. Senate positions, any current members having exceeded the 12 consecutive
years provision shall be replaced by the following method. The sixty percent of the members exceeding the 12
consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months shall not be eligible for election to the
U.S. Senate for the next 6 years or 1 term. Two years later, the remaining forty percent of the members who
exceeded the 12 consecutive years provision by the largest number of years and months at the time of
passage of this amendment, shall not be eligible for election to the U.S. Senate for the next 6 years or 1 term.
Any members reaching the 12 consecutive years provision after passage of this amendment, and not less
than 8 months prior to a federal general election that includes more than 3 U.S. Senate positions, shall not be
eligible for election to the U.S. Senate for the next 6 years or 1 term.
Section V, Upon the death, resignation, or impeachment of an elected member of the U.S. House of
Representatives, a person that serves less than 1 year of another U.S. House of Representatives elected term
of office, may immediately serve an additional 12 consecutive years. A person that serves more than 1 year of
another U.S. House of Representatives elected term of office may immediately serve an additional 10
consecutive years.
Section VI, Upon the death, resignation, or impeachment of an elected member of the U.S. Senate, a person
that serves less than 3 years of another U.S. Senators elected term of office, may immediately serve an
additional 2 consecutive terms. A person that serves more than 3 years of another U.S. Senators elected term
of office may immediately serve one additional term.
Section VII, Between Jan. 1 to Sept. 1 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S. House
of Representatives must spend a minimum of 85 weekdays in their district, with four minimum stays of 10
consecutive weekdays each. Between Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year that Congress is in session, members
of the U.S. House of Representatives must spend a minimum of 60 weekdays in their district, with three
minimum stays of 15 consecutive weekdays each.
Section VIII, Between Jan. 1 to Sept. 1 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S.
Senate must spend a minimum of 85 weekdays in their state, with four minimum stays of 10 consecutive
weekdays each. Between Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year that Congress is in session, members of the U.S.
Senate must spend a minimum of 60 weekdays in their state, with three minimum stays of 15 consecutive
weekdays each.
Section IX, No member of Congress shall retain leadership of a full committee, conference committee, sub
committee, or temporary committee for more than 4 consecutive years, nor more than 4 total years within a
12 year period.
Section X, No Speaker of the House, majority or minority leader in the House or Senate shall hold said
position for more than 6 consecutive years, nor more than 6 total years within a 12 year period.
Section XI, No Speaker of the House, majority or minority leader in the House or Senate can continue in his
or her Congressional leadership post while actively pursuing the office of President of the United States. The
threshold of actively pursuing shall be met when accepted on a Presidential primary or Presidential caucus
election ballot.

Information, news and opinions about
"our" federal government, and how to
bring about a return to leadership!
LeadersReport.com
Column - An American View (4/11/06)
Archive - An American View
LeadersReport.com copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved
An American View column and blog by Bruce Green - conservative & moderate political discourse
Change The Loan
The founding fathers set out a plan for government in the young
United States that suggested people got their power and rights from
God and then the people loaned some of that power to their
"republican style" of government. Even though our Constitution
didn't include term limits for Congress, the Executive or Judicial
branches, the Constitutional Convention in 1787 considered them. It
was thought at the time to be unnecessary because the common
practice was to offer your services in Congress for 6 years or
less...a citizen-legislator. Congress was not meant to be a career,
but a brief service for your state and country and then you returned
to your real job.
We need to change our loan agreement with those who choose to
serve and are elected to Congress. Tougher safeguards need to be
added to bring back better governing and close down the loophole
on careerism in Washington D.C.
Limited term limits that reduce the number of consecutive years
someone can serve in Congress and the number of years
someone can serve during a specified time period should be added
to our Constitution. A member of Congress should not serve more
than 12 consecutive years nor more than 12 years in any 18 year
period, thus bringing back the citizen-legislator who must return
home and experience the life of their area before returning to
represent people again in Washington D.C.
The phrase "term limits" increases some heartbeats because it blocks "we the people" from having the choice
of electing someone for an unlimited number of years. I suggest limited term limits as a mechanism to offer
people the opportunity to serve, return to where they came from, and then if desired and chosen again, return
to Congress after a minimum number of years intervening.
I don't like restricting how many times I can vote for someone, but the effects of our current careerism
Congress over the last 40 years is very clear. Extended stays in Congress produce less leadership, too much
power in the hands of a few committee chairman for too many years, a higher percentage of our income being
taxed and spent by the federal government, too many unfunded long term social programs, and too much
interest in bringing home the pork by members of Congress because Congress has become a good gig.
We've allowed this to happen and we can fix it by changing our Constitution to reflect the challenges of the
21st century and beyond. Getting Congress to approve these changes is very doubtful, so we should utilize
Article V of the Constitution that allows for 2/3 of all states to recommend a Constitutional Convention for the
sole purpose of agreeing on the wording for amendments to then be agreed upon by 3/4 of the state
legislatures. Congress and the President have no say in the chnaging of the Constitution under these
guidelines of Article V. We the people can do it!
Visit the Legislatures page to get the website address and email address for your state legislator. Technology
gives us the opportunity to make change faster in our country than ever before. Your help is needed.