Proposal to Limit Congressional Tenure and Benefits

Republican Representative Chip Roy from Texas has suggested a proposal to restrict pay and authority for House and Senate lawmakers after 12 years of service in their legislative chamber.

The proposal states, “A Member of Congress (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress) who has served 12 or more cumulative years in the House of Representatives or in the Senate, as the case may be, may not, on and after the date that the Member reaches 12 years of service in the Member’s respective House of Congress, be eligible for any covered benefit described in subsection (b).”

Under Roy’s plan, long-serving lawmakers would lose eligibility for pay and could no longer hold leadership roles or serve as chairs or ranking members on committees in both the House and Senate.

For too long, Washington has rewarded longevity with greater power, higher pay, and deeper entrenchment. If members of Congress want to serve beyond 12 years absent a constitutional amendment limiting them, they should do so without taxpayer-funded salaries and without monopolizing committee chairs and leadership positions, said Roy in a press release.

He further stated, This bill helps ensure that public service remains exactly that: service to the people, not a lifelong career in politics. Roy has been part of the U.S. House since 2019 but recently lost a state-level Republican primary.

The proposal explains that the restrictions would be implemented as a legislative exercise, becoming part of each House’s rules. It emphasizes the constitutional right of either House to change its procedures at any time.

This prohibition would begin with the 121st Congress, starting in early 2029.

According to the U.S. Constitution, each House has the authority to set its procedural rules, and it mandates compensation for Senators and Representatives paid by the U.S. Treasury.

Alex Nitzberg covers this topic for Fox News Digital.