The Term Limits Contract: Has Your Candidate Signed It?

RALEIGH – Term limits is quite popular among the voting base, especially on the Republican side of the ballot. The idea receives a lot of praise from certain candidates and politicians, but – surprise, surprise – no real action is ever taken in congress to actually implement it.

So, in lieu of legislation, one outfit is engaged in an effort to initiate term limits within the Republican Party.

MOE Term Limits is an advocacy group seeking to hold politicians that publicly express support for term limits accountable via a contract.

The agreement sets a limit of 24 years, through any combination of terms in the U.S. House (two year terms) and Senate (six year terms).

John Misegadis of MOE Term Limits Inc. explained the reasoning behind the 24 year limit, and why this method may have more success than the so far futile effort to enact a constitutional amendment for term limits.

“It is an agreement between the nonprofit MOE Term Limits, Inc. and the Republican candidate and does not require a constitutional amendment, which will never happen. It is 24 years because experience is needed to serve on the more important Congressional committees, it is also more acceptable to those Republican candidates who really are not on board with term limits […]. Keep in mind this does not address the Democrats or current Republican congressmen, so there should be very little resistance from those two groups.”

While 24 years sounds like a long time, it’s utility for the conservative cause becomes apparent when one realizes that under a such a term limit Sens. John McCain and Mitch McConnell would be long gone.

Actually, all these guys would be gone:

Thad Cochran, MS 46+ years
Don Young, AK 45+ years
Chuck Grassley, IA 43+ years
Orrin Hatch, UT 41+ years
Jim Sensenbrenner, WI 39+ years
Richard Shelby, AL 39+ years
Pat Roberts, KS 37+ years
Hal Rogers, KY 37+ years
Chris Smith, NJ 37+ years
John McCain, AZ 35+ years
Mitch McConnell, KY 33+ years
Lamar Smith, TX 31+ years
John J. Duncan Jr. TN 30+ years
Dana Rohrabacher, CA 29+ years
Sam Johnson, TX, 27+ years
Edward Royce, CA 25+ years
Ken Calvert, CA 25+ years

Unfortunately, none of current Republicans in congress have signed such a contract. However, with a push of publicity and voters holding feet to the fire, 2018 candidates are fair game.

It’s easy to express support for an issue that is likely to never come before you in congress; it’s quite another to proactively sign a contract that binds you to limited tenure in the Swamp.

So who has signed it from North Carolina? Not very many.

MOE Term Limits lists Mark Harris, Allen Chesser, and Paul Bonham as having signed the contract.

Harris is running against incumbent Republican Congressman Robert Pittenger in the NC’s 9th District for U.S. House.

Chesser, who we profiled here at First in Freedom Daily, enthusiastically signed the contract as he primaries Republican Rep. George Holding in the 2nd District.

Bonham is running in a three-way primary for a chance to take on the 12th District Liberal incumbent, and wearer of hats, Rep. Alma Adams.

The real question is, why haven’t all the Republican contenders for congress signed this contract?

Urge your favorite candidates to put action behind their rhetoric by signing pen to paper when it comes to term limits.

Visit MOE Term Limits to learn more and spread the word.