Feb. 27 marks National Term Limits Day, commemorating the ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — an amendment that finally limited presidents to two terms in office.
This year, we mark a particularly important milestone: the 75th anniversary of that amendment becoming law.
The passage of the 22nd Amendment was not an accident, nor was it partisan. It was the result of a bipartisan consensus that concentrated power — held too long by any one individual — poses a threat to democratic self-government.
After President Franklin Roosevelt’s unprecedented four terms (1933 to 1945), Americans from across the political spectrum agreed that the presidency needed term limits. The states led, Congress followed, and the Constitution was strengthened.
Peach State should push for reform
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Yet 75 years later, the job remains unfinished.
While the presidency is capped at two terms, members of Congress face no such limits. Career politicians routinely serve for decades, accumulating power, influence and institutional advantages that distance them from the citizens they are meant to represent.
This imbalance has fueled public frustration, eroded trust in Washington, and contributed to a political culture that feels increasingly disconnected from everyday Americans — including Georgians.
Fortunately, Georgia has a proud history of stepping up when constitutional reform is needed.
Last year, the Georgia state Senate passed a resolution (SR 23) calling for an Article V Convention of States, limited solely to proposing a constitutional amendment that would impose term limits on Congress.
That vote sent a powerful message: Georgia understands that when Congress refuses to act in the public interest, the Constitution gives the states both the authority and the responsibility to lead.
Now, the Georgia state House must finish the job.
If the House passes this resolution, Georgia will once again stand among the growing number of states demanding congressional accountability through term limits. Just as importantly, Georgia will reaffirm its role as a national leader — one willing to act not for partisan advantage but for the long-term health of the republic.
Be on the right side of history
Support for congressional term limits is overwhelming and bipartisan. Polling by U.S. Term Limits consistently shows that about 80% of Americans support congressional term limits, including strong majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. In Georgia, that support spans rural and urban communities alike — from small towns in the mountains and farmland communities in the south to suburbs and city neighborhoods across the state. Few issues unite Georgians more clearly.
Critics often argue term limits would deprive Congress of experience. But experience is valuable only when it serves the public good. What Americans increasingly see instead is entrenchment — lawmakers more focused on seniority, fundraising and reelection than on solving real problems. Term limits would restore the idea of citizen-legislators: individuals who come to Washington to serve, not to stay.
Others worry that an Article V Convention is risky. But the Georgia resolution, like those passed in other states, is narrowly crafted. It calls for a convention limited to one subject and one subject only: congressional term limits. Delegates would be bound by that limitation, and any proposed amendment would still require ratification by 38 states. In other words, the process is careful, constitutional and intentionally difficult — exactly as the Founders designed it.
The same constitutional mechanism that helped deliver presidential term limits can now be used to complete that work.
Georgia’s lawmakers have an opportunity this session to stand on the right side of history. By passing the Article V resolution, the Georgia House can honor the legacy of the 22nd Amendment, respond to the clear will of voters, and help restore balance and accountability to our federal government.
Seventy-five years ago, Americans recognized that no one person should hold the presidency indefinitely. Today, Americans are asking the same common-sense question about Congress.
Georgia has already taken the first step. Now it’s time to lead once more — and finish the job.
And Happy Term Limits Day!
Dr. John Cowan is Georgia state chair of U.S. Term Limits. He is a Republican primary candidate for Georgia U.S. Congressional District 11.
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