Rep. Matt Salmon, who stuck to his term limits pledge for his first House stint, is proposing a constitutional amendment the limit the length of lawmakers’ time in office. The Arizona Republican has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to impose strict term limits on Congress. The measure would prohibit the route Salmon took in his political career. No one could return to Washington after meeting the limit of terms, even if they sat out for a few years. Salmon was elected to three terms, beginning in 1994. He abided by his self-imposed term limits pledge and retired after the 2000 elections. In the interim Salmon ran for governor in 2002, losing narrowly, and later served as chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, among other roles.
In 2012 Salmon ran for the House again, after redistricting and reapportionment among House seats between states provided an open office.
“If we had a national term-limit policy, it would be a better place back here,” Salmon recently told The Arizona Republic. “I think a lot of people start out full of idealism and fresh ideas. And then a lot of times being re-elected becomes more important than staying true to your principles.”
Salmon suggested that abiding by self-imposed term limits, as he did in 2000, doesn’t make sense. It’s more an act of unilateral disarmament.
Full Article: Rep. Matt Salmon Proposes Term Limits Constitutional Amendment.