[20000426]96-152_国会议员的任期限制：状态活动.pdf

Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS Web96-152 GOVUpdated April 26, 2000Term Limits for Members of Congress: State ActivitySula P. RichardsonAnalyst in American National GovernmentGovernment and Finance DivisionSummaryIn 1990, term-limit advocates began their campaign to limit congressional terms bychanging state laws, amending state constitutions, and passing state ballot initiatives,rather than by amending the U.S. Constitution. Their strategy was to circumvent themore difficult and time consuming amendment process at the federal level and go directlyto the voters and legislatures of each state. By mid-1995, voters or legislatures in 23states had approved congressional term limits. In 1995, however, the U.S. SupremeCourt ruled that state-imposed limits on congressional tenure violate the Constitution andthat term limits can only be set through passage and ratification of an amendment to theU.S. Constitution. Since then, term-limit supporters have been pressing Congress topropose a constitutional amendment, encouraging state legislatures to pass resolutionscalling on Congress to propose a constitutional amendment, an