(12/13/97 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
A lot of attention has been directed to the question of term limits. Should the government invoke them and limit the people’s Constitutional right to vote for the candidate of their choice, or should it let the people choose the candidate they feel would be most sensitive to their needs and concerns?
It concerns me that this should be a question at all in Congress. After all, is this not a democracy? Is not the right to vote one of the most precious individual freedoms provided to us and guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States? What would our immortalized civil rights leaders say if they could see us lessen the potency of the very freedom for which many of them died during the turbulent times of America’s growth? Term limits are an abridgement of the very freedom that each of us is promised in this country. To alter this inalienable right is simply unacceptable.
In 1990, California voters passed a referendum to set term limits. Many members of the California legislature were forced out of their elected offices, including the powerful Speaker of the House, Willie Brown, who had successfully served his constituents for 32 years. October 7, 1997 a federal appeals court struck down that law which established term limits in California. The court determined that the language of the law did not explain to voters that the law carried a lifetime ban.
To agree with those in Washington who favor term limits is to insult the intelligence of the voting public. If an elected politician does not serve his constituents, those very same constituents will hold him accountable. It is called election day, the day of political judgment. It is the one ominous day in which the voter’s voice is surely heard...the one that yields the power of change...the one that determines whether that elected official is worthy to serve at the will of the people again.
The lack of term limits can stimulate a politically active environment in communities and voting blocks that may have otherwise been indifferent. If a candidate has neglected the needs of the elderly, it is probable that the older generation will become more politically active and vote that person out of office. Likewise if the candidate is sensitive to these constituents, chances are she or he will be voted into office for an additional term. The positive by-product of increased community political activity is usually an increase in voter registration and participation. If the elderly in this example are unable to vote for the candidate that has served them well, irregardless of the candidate’s length of service, they may find themselves disenfranchised, a casualty of a pseudo-democratic system.
Term limits can hamper the effectiveness of leadership. Look at the gains during the Roosevelt Administration’s New Deal Era. At the conclusion of his four terms as President, his efforts resulted in an incredible number of political successes due largely in part to the continuity of his administration. He knew Washington’s political system and he had a keen sense of what the American people wanted. Had term limits been in effect, and a new president-elect of the same or different political persuasion taken office, many of his administration’s hard fought and most important efforts may have faced insurmountable opposition. It was Roosevelt’s experience and continuity that enabled him to quickly jump-start America, leading it from the binds of the Great Depression. Any other candidate lacking these attributes would have perhaps wasted valuable time striving to build alliances and gaining experience necessary for effective leadership. Time was not a luxury and the American people could not afford to waste it. They needed someone who could make things happen quickly and effectively. They wisely chose Roosevelt.
A similar situation exists today in Congress, where many of the gains made by notable minority members such as Congressmen Charles Rangel, Ronald Dellums, John Conyers, Louis Stokes, William Clay and Henry Gonzalez are in jeopardy should term limits be invoked. In 1993, Congressman Ron Dellums, who recently announced his retirement, became Chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee which authorizes our nation’s military programs. It took time for Representative Dellums and these other members to gain the seniority that allows them to today serve as ranking members of major committees. When the Congress returns to a Democratic majority, many of these respected colleagues will chair these committees and will be in a position to use their experience and connections to better serve constituents. Most notably, Congressman Rangel would become Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee which writes our nation’s tax laws, and Congressman Clay would become the Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee.
We must trust voters and permit them to carry out their important responsibilities in deciding which candidates will best serve them.
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.