Tennessee Legislature passes term limits on Congress resolution
April 11, 2024, 2:10 p.m.

NASHVILLE, TN -- Today, the Tennessee Senate passed HJR5, a resolution applying for a national convention to propose term limits on Congress with a vote of 18 yeas and 11 nays. The effort was sponsored by Tennessee State Representative Chris Todd and State Senator Richard Briggs.

The application is officially heading to Congress to be counted towards the 34 state applications required to call a term limits convention. This success is part of a national, nonpartisan movement led by U.S. Term Limits to fight careerism in Washington, D.C.

Senate Sponsor Richard Briggs says, "I’m delighted my Senate colleagues and Tennessee House of Representatives are now in the column for a constitutional amendment for term limits for Congress."

Tennessee State Chair, Glenn Jacobs commented on the victory, "I want to thank the Senate for putting the Volunteer State on record for congressional term limits. This is a major step toward ending the political circus that has polarized and divided our nation because term limits will restore balance in our electoral process and once again empower voters. Term limits also will force Congress to come up with real solutions to the challenges our nation faces instead of going along to get along or kicking the problem down the road – something that continues to bury us under a mountain of debt."

Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides states the authority to impose term limits on Congress without congressional approval. For the term limits amendment convention to be called, at total of 34 states must pass similar resolutions. Once a term limits amendment is proposed, it must be ratified by 38 states for it to be added to the U.S. Constitution. This process allows the states to completely bypass Congress.

The President of U.S. Term Limits, Philip Blumel said “Eighty-seven percent of Americans support term limits on Congress, including huge majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents. This is a truly nonpartisan issue with national appeal.”

HJR5 was supported by both Democrats and Republicans and passed easily through both chambers of the Tennessee state legislature.

“Senator Briggs and Representative Todd have been an integral part of the victory in Tennessee. Their efforts helped put Tennessee at the forefront of states calling for term limits on Congress,” Blumel added. “The progress here today has laid the groundwork for future successes.”