DeSantis lays out plan for congressional term limits on state-by-state basis

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to work with states in order to implement congressional term limits if he becomes president.

“We have people like [Nancy] Pelosi who have been there for decade after decade,” he said in a new video. “They’re more interested in advancing themselves than they are delivering results for you.”

“The problem is, Congress is never going to enact this,” he added. “As president, I’ll lead the efforts to bring about term limits through the states.”

He explained that Florida and many other states have the ability to collectively propose their own term limits at the state level, circumventing Congress.

“If we do that, it changes the incentives in Washington. They’re not going to be there for 40 years,” he said. “They have a limited amount of time. three terms in the House, two terms in the Senate, to actually get things done and leave a legacy.”

“I’m going to be a president that has a plan to bring this about,” he continued. “We’re going to work with the state’s to be able to get it done.”

According to U.S. Term Limits, an advocacy organization promoting term limits at all levels of American government, six states have passed their group’s applications specific to congressional term limits in single-subject legislation.

Florida, Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Wisconsin are the states that have passed such laws.

However, the advocacy group reported that there are 16 total states that have passed other applications in multi-subject bills that reference congressional term limits.

To propose a term limit amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 34 states would need to vote in favor of filing it. Then, at least 38 would be needed to approve it.

Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz has also been a vocal supporter of implementing term limits at the federal level.

Before Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted as speaker of the House, Gaetz lamented that a vote was held on the issue which “sadly failed.”

Former President Donald Trump originally campaigned in 2016 on forcing Congress to vote on term limits.