[lbo-talk] Re: Repeal term limits?

[Timothy Francis-Wright]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> Anyone know anything about this? Good to see those house Dems hard 
> at work!
> [shrink on]
>                         108th CONGRESS, 1st Session
>                                 H. J. RES. 11
>                               January 7, 2003
> 
>     Mr.  SERRANO  introduced  the  following  joint  resolution; 
>     which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
> 
>                                JOINT RESOLUTION
> 
>     Proposing  an  amendment  to  the Constitution of the United 
>     States to repeal  the  twenty-second  article of amendment, 
>     thereby removing the limitation  on  the  number  of  terms  an  
>     individual  may  serve  as  President.
> [shrink off]

Serrano has been at this for years, as have Barney Frank and a host 
of their fellow representatives.  The Democrats might want Clinton 
back; it's unclear whom the Republicans have wanted in recent years.

--tim francis-wright

Jose Serrano has proposed this measure three previous times:
in 2001, H. J. Res. 4 (no cosponsors)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/R?d107:FLD003:@1(rep+Serrano)
in 1999, H. J. Res. 17 (one cosponsor: Christopher Shays)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/R?d106:FLD003:@1(rep+Serrano)
in 1997, H. J. Res. 19 (one cosponsor: Christopher Shays)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/R?d105:FLD003:@1(rep+Serrano)

I think he's been doing this just to get ahead of Barney Frank,
who has offered substantially the same resolutions in several recent 
Congresses:
in 1999, H. J. Res. 24;
in 1997, H. J. Res. 38;
in 1995, H. J. Res. 68

This year, Barney Frank simply signed onto Steny Hoyer's 
H. J. Res. 25
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.j.res.00025:
(other co-sponsors: Howard Berman, Henry Hyde, Frank Pallone Jr.,
Martin Sabo, and James Sensenbrenner Jr.)

Hoyer et al took the 107th Congress off.
In 1999, they offered H. J. Res. 38  (7 co-sponsors: Howard Berman, 
Barney Frank, Henry Hyde, Frank Pallone Jr., Martin Sabo, James
Sensenbrenner Jr., and Christopher Shays)

In 1997, H. J. Res 88, with the same cast of characters except
with David Skaggs instead of Christopher Shays
Also in 1997, H. J. Res. 39 by Michael McNulty 

Since 1997 this has been a House-only issue; in 1995, Mitch 
McConnell offered S. J. Res. 23 along these lines (co-sponsor: 
Harry Reid).  1995 also featured three other proposals
in the House besides Barney Frank's measure listed above.

Some Republicans during Papa Dork's term seem to have caught
the third-term fever. 

The 101st Congress (1989-1991) had a bunch of competing proposals 
to alter the 22nd Amendment, from outright repeal to imposition of 
a single six-year term.

In 1991, Martin Sabo proposed a similar amendment, H. J. Res. 101
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d102:h.j.res.00101:
(16 co-sponsors, including Dick Armey and Barney Frank)

Once Clinton won in 1992, the fervor subsided. The only proposal
in 1993 was H. J. Res. 107, submitted by Peter McNulty, with
the only co-sponsors being Shays and Louise Slaughter.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d103:h.j.res.00107: