US Congress; limited to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to set a limit on the number of terms that a person may be elected; apply to call a convention
Summary
Senate Resolution 23 applies to the United States Congress for an Article V convention limited to proposing a federal constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The resolution states that Georgia is requesting Congress to call a convention solely for that purpose and that the application should be counted together with similar applications from other states toward the two-thirds threshold needed to trigger a convention.
The resolution also declares that the convention must be strictly confined to the term-limits subject matter and urges Congress to impose a severe criminal penalty for anyone who exceeds the convention’s limited scope. It further provides that the application is continuing until enough states have made similar applications, and directs distribution of the resolution to federal and state legislative leaders to seek cooperation.
Impact
If adopted and transmitted, the resolution would not directly change Georgia statutes, but it would formally commit the Georgia General Assembly to support an Article V convention call on congressional term limits. Its practical effect is to add Georgia’s application to the pool of state applications on the same subject, potentially helping satisfy the constitutional requirement for Congress to call a limited convention. The resolution also seeks to influence the rules and enforcement surrounding any such convention by insisting on a narrow scope and criminal penalties for violations.
Sentiment
The voting history indicates the measure ultimately received majority support in the Senate, with adoption passing 34-18 after an amendment vote failed 22-30. That pattern suggests the chamber was generally favorable to the idea of term limits and to the resolution’s Article V approach, though not unanimously. No committee transcript is available, so the recorded votes are the main indicator of sentiment.
Contention
The main point of contention is the use of an Article V convention to pursue congressional term limits, which can raise concerns about the scope and control of a convention and the risks of broader constitutional changes. The failed amendment vote suggests there was disagreement over some aspect of the resolution’s language or approach, though the available record does not specify the amendment’s substance. Supporters appear to favor term limits as a reform to Congress, while opponents likely objected either to the convention mechanism itself or to the resolution’s enforcement and aggregation provisions.
Applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing an amendment to the constitution to limit the terms of office of members of Congress.
Applying to the United States Congress under Article V of the United States Constitution to call for a convention for proposing an amendment to the constitution establishing congressional term limits.
Applying To The United States Congress For An Article V Convention Of The States For The Purpose Of Proposing An Amendment To The United States Constitution To Impose Term Limits Of Members For The United States Congress.
Applying To Congress, As Provided By Article V Of The Constitution Of The United States Of America, To Set A Limit On The Number Of Terms That A Person May Be Elected As A Member Of Congress.
A Concurrent Resolution calling for a convention under Article V of the Constitution of the United States to consider amendments that limit the number of terms that members of Congress may serve.