Term Limits

The founders envisioned citizen-legislators who served briefly and returned home to private life, not professional politicians building empires in Washington.

George Mason argued in 1787 that long congressional terms would lead to “corruption and aristocracy.” He favored short terms and rotation so members would “return to the mass of the people” and feel the effects of their own laws.

Thomas Jefferson emphasized rotation: “The spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless... From the conclusion of this war we shall be going downhill. It will not then be necessary to resort every moment to the people for support. They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded.

Benjamin Franklin spoke against long service, suggesting members should serve “a season” and then return to private life, lest power corrupt.

John Adams warned that “where annual elections end, there slavery begins,” implying longer terms erode accountability.

Jeff Merkley has already had his season. 2026 is his 18th year in DC!

He is running again, going after his fourth term as a U.S. Senator... 24 years! While he pushes term limits for Supreme Court justices, he refuses to limit his own time in Washington. That is not service - it’s a career. Oregon deserves fresh voices, not career politicians.

My Proposal: 12 Years Maximum Total in Congress 

No one can serve more than 12 years combined in the House of Representatives and the Senate (lifetime limit). 

That means: 

· 6 terms in the House (12 years), or 

· 2 terms in the Senate (12 years), or 

· 1 Senate term + 3 House terms (12 years), or 

· any other combination that totals 12 years or less.

Short remaining terms do not count: If a Representative or Senator is unable to complete their term and 1 year or less remains (or 3 years or less remains in a Senate vacancy), that unfilled time does not count toward the successor’s 12-year limit. This applies even if the successor is later elected to a full term in the next regular election.

However, if more than half of the original term remains (> 1 year in the House or > 3 years in the Senate), that remaining time does count as a full term toward the successor’s 12-year maximum. 

U.S. House of Representatives elections are held every 2 years. Because U.S. Senators serve 6-year terms, 1/3 of the seats are voted on every 2 years (33, 33, or 34).

The Framers’ goal was to ensure natural turnover through the ballot box.
My 12-year combined limit builds on that design.  

The limit applies only to future service (prior time does not count).

The Framers' Vision: Natural Turnover, Not Permanent Power

James Madison (Federalist No. 62) explained the 6-year Senate term with staggered election is  a way to provide "due stability" while preventing the Senate from becoming too detached. 

The 2-year House cycle and staggered Senate elections together create natural regular turnovers without wiping out the entire Congress at once. That is exactly the "natural turnover through the ballot box" the Framers intended.
They wanted Congress to be responsive via the House of Representatives;  yet deliberative via the Senate. They did not support a permanent class of politicians.

In the current 119th Congress, Term Limit proposals are being worked on In the event a Term Limit bill does not pass, after I am sworn in as Your U.S. Senator, I will introduce the following joint resolution.

The following is an example of how my proposed bill will be written up:

120th CONGRESS
S.J. Res. [To Be Assigned]

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the total period of service of Members of Congress to twelve years combined in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 14, 2027

Ms. Perkins of Oregon introduced the following joint resolution which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to limit the total period of service of Members of Congress to twelve years combined in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

ARTICLE 1

“SECTION 1. No person shall be elected or appointed to the office of Senator or Representative in Congress if such election or appointment would cause the total period of service of such person as a Senator and as a Representative to exceed twelve years.”

“SECTION 2. For purposes of this article:
(a) Service in filling a vacancy in the House of Representatives for more than one year shall count as a full two-year term toward the twelve-year limit. Service for one year or less shall not be counted.
(b) Service in filling a vacancy in the Senate for more than three years shall count as a full six-year term toward the twelve-year limit. Service for three years or less shall not be counted.”

“SECTION 3. No period of service beginning before the date of the ratification of this article shall be taken into account in determining the total period of service under this article.”

Oregon deserves better.
No more career politicians ignoring the people they claim to represent. No more 18-year tenures like Jeff Merkley. Let’s bring back the Founders’ vision of citizen service; “a season in Washington, then home to live under the laws they make.”

Join the fight. Support the Perkins for US Senator campaign. 

Together, we can end the DC insider class, restore accountability, sanity and fiscal management of the Peoples’ money.