What is the maximum number of terms for congress representaives?

Answer 1

While there are currently no term limits in Congress, the idea has been debated for many years. In the elections of 1994, part of the Republican platform was to pass legislation setting term limits in Congress. After winning the majority, they brought a constitutional amendment to the House floor.

It limited members of the Senate to two six-year terms and members of the House to six two-year terms. Because the Republicans held 230 seats in the House, they were able to get a simple majority. However, constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, or 290 votes, and the votes to restrict term limits in Congress fell short of that number.

In May of 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against term limits in Congress in the case of U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton. By a 5-4 vote, the justices found that states could not impose term limits in Congress. Since Congress had been unable to muster the required two-thirds majority needed for a constitutional amendment to pass, the matter did not come up in Congress again.

After the Supreme Court ruling, many Representatives made non-binding pledges to limit their own terms. Some of those Representatives stood by their word and left Congress, while others broke their pledges and continued to run for re-election.