A better idea, better than term limits for Congress, is to dismantle the federal bureaucracy.
Listen: with “term limits” for Congress, the apparatchiks in the bureaucracy, people who are lifelong “civil servants” will become the masters.
Imagine: an EPA full of mid-level managers, or an FCC or FDA or ATF agents who fear no elected official...because they know all they have to do is “out last” them.
Seriously—Congress needs to destroy the power of the bureaucrats. Our Constitution in Article I Section 1 says the legislative powers of the federal government are vested in CONGRESS. Today (and since the New Deal) the bureaucrats have been writing regulations, rules, and regimens for every single aspect of American life. These have the EFFECT of LAW.
Time for THAT to end before we do term limits.
And that in large measure IS within the purview of the President. The 'federal bureaucracy' is the Executive Branch. If Trump wants to reduce the size, scope, cost, and corruption of government the Executive Branch is where he can start.
Federal Employees work for the President, not the Congress. "This too will pass" happens every 4 or eight years.
Simply remove the pensions and special benefits. Poof! No more government "lifers".
Exactly! Before I really thought about it, I used to be a proponent of term limits too, but even though there are many lifers in congress who blatently abuse their position, the root of the problem is not term limits. I agree that the bureaucrats, all the massive bureaucracies, and many, if not most, of the relationships congresscritters have with them, are indeed a much larger problem. Our nation’s founders couldn’t possibly imagine how massive, powerful, and expensive some of these bureaucracies have become. It truly is mind boggling!
They already are. Congressmen when they come into office are likely going to keep all the hired help no matter who their previous boss was. Congress has handed all the hard work off to staff or regulatory agencies that rule with the stroke of a pen.