Statutory Term Limits on Congressional Pay and Power Act

Key Points

• Members of Congress who have served 12 or more cumulative years in the House or Senate would lose their congressional salary. This creates a strong financial reason for long-serving lawmakers to leave office voluntarily.
• Lawmakers who pass the 12-year mark would also be banned from chairing or serving as the top-ranking minority member of any committee, as well as holding top leadership positions like Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, or party whips.
• The bill spells out exactly which Senate leadership positions are covered, including the President pro Tempore, the Majority and Minority Leaders, the Whips, and the chairs of the party conference and policy committees.
• These restrictions would not kick in right away. They would take effect starting with the 121st Congress, which begins in January 2029, giving current members time to adjust.
• The bill is written as an exercise of internal congressional rulemaking power, meaning either chamber could change or repeal it at any time. This acknowledges that a true constitutional term limit would require a constitutional amendment, so the bill uses financial and leadership incentives instead.