On the recordMarch 15, 1995
I often hear Republicans say that we need term limits because "we need to clean out the barn." Look, I do not live on a farm, so I never use that phrase. But, when I hear someone else say, "We need to clean out the barn," it sounds like something important, something that should be done soon. Not a few years down the road. But today. Now. So, I do not understand when those who have been in Congress for 12, 20, 25 years say they support term limits, but they plan to stick around Washington a little longer, because these are the same folks who said, "We have got to clean out the barn." Fine. Grab a broom. Clean out the barn. But if it turns out that you are the one who is making the mess, you better get out of the barn, too. I urge Members who talk about term limits to support retroactive term limits, where we count your accumulated service as of today. That would turn term limits from rhetorical cheapshot into real change. Retroactivity cleans out the barn, now.
Said by
Roland Gutierrez
Source
govinfo.gov