Idaho’s Labrador proposes term limits for Congress — but there’s a high bar

Rep. Raúl Labrador wants a constitutional amendment to impose a 12-year limit on service in the U.S. House and Senate.

A bill he introduced Tuesday would limit officeholders to six two-year terms in the House and two six-year terms in the Senate.

“To restore constitutional balance, we must bring the career politicians home and replace them with patriots ready to make the hard choices necessary for prudent governance,” Labrador said in a release.

President Donald Trump is among those calling for congressional term limits, but there is little support for them in Congress. A 1995 Supreme Court decision ruled that states or Congress cannot create them by enacting laws.

A constutional amendment would require approval in Congress followed by ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.

This story was originally published February 3, 2017 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Idaho’s Labrador proposes term limits for Congress — but there’s a high bar."