UPDATE: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Maryland Congressman David Trone have just announced a groundbreaking initiative to impose term limits on members of Congress. In a compelling joint op-ed published in The New York Times, they decried the dominance of career politicians in both chambers, calling it a “retirement home for career politicians.”
The duo’s urgent message comes as a government shutdown looms, further frustrating Americans fed up with partisan gridlock. “The endless stalemates and inability to find common ground reflect a deeper issue: Congress is dominated by career politicians who prioritize power over public service,” they wrote.
DeSantis and Trone are taking action as co-chairs of a national campaign with U.S. Term Limits, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to enacting term limits for elected officials. “We aim to restore accountability, competition, and common sense on Capitol Hill,” they stated.
The median age of voting members in the House of Representatives is currently 57.5 years, with the Senate averaging 64.7 years, according to a January 2023 analysis by Pew Research Center. This raises significant concerns about the ability of older lawmakers to effectively serve their constituents.
Recent surveys reveal that a staggering 87% of U.S. adults support limiting congressional terms. DeSantis and Trone emphasized that the entrenched interests of long-serving politicians only exacerbate partisanship and public cynicism towards the government. “The concentration of power among career politicians fuels lobbyist influence and public distrust,” they argued.
“We are the greatest nation on Earth; we deserve a Congress that reflects that greatness,” they concluded.
Trone, who represented Maryland’s 6th district until January 2025, also highlighted that Congress is often perceived as a “self-serving closed club of political insiders.” He and DeSantis contend that redistricting reforms alone will not dismantle the advantages incumbents enjoy, nor will it address the fundamental issues of political stagnation.
As Americans watch the political landscape evolve, the push for term limits signals a critical moment in the fight against entrenched political power. What happens next will be pivotal; with the midterm elections on the horizon, will Congress heed this urgent call for change?
Stay tuned for updates as this story develops, and consider how these proposed changes could impact the future of governance in the United States.
