Congressional Term Limits Amendment
No person shall serve in the House of Representatives for more than a total of 13 years or in the Senate for more than a total of 15 years. Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate who have served longer than the limit when this amendment is ratified may complete their current term in office.
Supreme Court Term Limits Amendment
The Supreme court shall have nine justices. A supreme court justice shall be appointed to serve a single eighteen year term. The scheduled appointment of a supreme court justice shall begin and end at noon on the 20th of January of even numbered years. The Chief Justice duties shall be performed by the justice with the median seniority for the two years in that seniority.
Upon ratification of this amendment, the justices shall be assigned sequential seniority in accordance with their time in the Supreme Court. The term of the most senior justice shall end at noon on the first January 20th of an even year following ratification. The justice with the median seniority will then assume the duties of Chief Justice. If a justice leave the court before competing their term, a replacement shall be appointed to complete that justice’s term.
Fiscal Responsibility Amendment
Federal expenditures shall not exceed fifteen percent of the Gross Domestic Product with the exception described below.
The federal budget shall not include a deficit by the tenth year from the ratification of this amendment and shall not include a deficit for any year with the exception described below.
All expenditures, all revenue sources and all unfunded liabilities shall be included in the federal budget. Specifically, there shall be no off budget or non-reported revenues, expenditures or liabilities. Descriptions of expenditures may be sealed for national security reasons as allowed by the legislature, but the amount of the total expenditures so sealed shall be included in the federal budget.
Revenue and expenditure line items included in bills passed by the Congress shall have a record of their history including the members of congress who were involved in their development. Lack of a detailed record shall constitute a violation of the arbitrary and capricious clause.
The exceptions referenced above are periods of military conflict or national emergency. A period of military conflict shall exist for this exception if Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. A period of national emergency shall exist for this exception if declared by the President and a simple majority of state governors. The exception shall only apply to the cost of the military action or emergency. Sustaining of the exception beyond its expressed need shall be subject to judicial review.
The national debt and unfunded liabilities shall be reduced by xx percent of the federal budget each year until it is eliminated. Debts incurred under the exceptions identified above shall also be eliminated after the exception expires.
March 20, 2009 at 11:03 am |
[...] a first cut at amendments, just for [...]
March 27, 2009 at 2:18 am |
[...] Rough out a draft constitutional amendment that imposes term limits on members of congress*. I would include term limits on Supreme Court [...]
May 22, 2009 at 1:50 am |
[...] of Amendment 7) He got the term limits exactly right. That is, he used the same numbers I did but by a different [...]