Wyoming Senate Candidates Pledge Support for Term Limits Amendment
Two candidates for one of Wyoming's U.S. Senate seats have pledged to support a constitutional amendment that would limit the number of turns senators and representatives can serve in Congress, according to a group championing the effort.
Former Republican U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis and R. Mark Armstrong are both seeking election to the Senate seat soon to be vacated by retiring Republican Senator Mike Enzi. Armstrong signed the pledge earlier this month and Lummis signed back in July.
"Mark's and Cynthia's support of term limits shows that there are individuals who are willing to put self-interest aside to follow the will of the people," Philip Blumel, president of U.S. Term Limits, said in a statement released early Tuesday. "America needs a Congress that will be served by citizen legislators, not career politicians."
Blumel says his group has seen a "dramatic increase" in support for imposing term limits upon those elected to Congress.
"More than 82% of Americans have rejected the career politician model and want to replace it with citizen leadership," he said. "The way to achieve that goal is through congressional term limits."
The group's pledge reads as follows:
I pledge that as a member of Congress, I will cosponsor and vote for the U.S. Term Limits amendment of three (3) House terms and two (2) Senate terms and no longer limit.
Senator Ted Cruz has introduced the amendment in the Senate, while Representative Francis Rooney has introduced a version in the U.S. House of Representatives. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in each chamber and ratification by 38 states in order to pass.
In its statement Tuesday, the group cited a January 2018 poll by McLaughlin & Associates, which found huge nationwide support for the movement.
"Support for term limits is broad and strong across all political, geographic and demographic groups. An overwhelming 82% of voters approve of a Constitutional Amendment that will place term limits on members of Congress," the survey summary reads.
"Four-in-five voters believe that it is important for President Trump to keep his promise to support term limits for members of Congress by calling on Congress to vote for term limits, the majority of voters, 54%, believe it is very important for the President to keep his promise," the summary continues.
"America is in trouble," Blumel added. "Our career politicians have let the people down. It is time to return control of our nation to the people. It is time for a constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms."