Why Would We Repeal Presidential Term Limits?

Why would we want to repeal the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution? The 22nd Amendment sets the term limits for the office of President of the United States. Five Congressman have sponsored HJ 24 to repeal the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

The five Congressman are:
Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) Sponsor
Howard Berman (D-Ca.)
Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Martin Olav Sabo (D-Mn)
James Sensenbrenner (R-Ws)

HJ 24 is cosponsonsored by four Democrats and one Republican. It was introduced February 17, 2005 and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary and referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution on April 4, 2005.

Thanks to PrisonPlanet for the heads up on this. However, according to Hoyer's introduction of the legislation it would not effect the current President's tenure.

Text of Hoyer's Introduction of HJ 24

REPEAL 22ND AMENDMENT TO U.S. CONSTITUTION -- (Extensions of Remarks - February 18, 2005)
SPEECH OF HON. STENY H. HOYER OF MARYLAND IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2005

* Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing today a joint resolution to repeal outright the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. The 22nd Amendment requires that no person who has served two terms or has served two years of another President's term be permitted to serve another term of office.

* The time has come to repeal the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, and not because of partisan politics. While I am not a supporter of the current President, I feel there are good public policy reasons for a repeal of this amendment. Under the Constitution as altered by the 22nd Amendment, this must be President George W. Bush's last term even if the American people should want him to continue in office. This is an undemocratic result.

* Under the resolution I offer today, President Bush would not be eligible to run for a third term. However, the American people would have restored to themselves and future generations an essential democratic privilege to elect who they choose in the future.

* A limitation on the terms that a President could serve was not fully discussed by the Founding Fathers. However, Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist Paper 72, recognized that one important benefit of not having term limits on the President would be:

* We do not have to rely on rigid constitutional standards to hold our Presidents accountable. Sufficient power resides in the Congress and the Judiciary to protect our country from tyranny. As the noted attorney and counsel to Presidents, Clark Clifford, said:

I believe we denigrate ourselves as an enlightened people, and our political process as a whole, in imposing on ourselves still further disability to retain tested and trusted leadership. The Congress and the Judiciary are now and will remain free to utilize their own countervailing constitutional power to forestall any executive overreaching.