S 27 Session 109 (1991-1992)
S 0027 Concurrent Resolution, By Passailaigue
A Concurrent Resolution petitioning the Congress of the United States to
propose an amendment to the United States Constitution for submission to the
states to limit the number of terms a person may serve in the United States
House of Representatives to no greater than six and to limit the number of
terms a person may serve in the United States Senate to no greater than two,
or in the alternative, to call a convention for the sole and exclusive purpose
of proposing such an amendment for submission to the states for ratification.
09/10/90 Senate Prefiled
09/10/90 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary
01/08/91 Senate Introduced SJ-32
01/08/91 Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-32
A CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
PETITIONING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO
PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES
CONSTITUTION FOR SUBMISSION TO THE STATES TO LIMIT
THE NUMBER OF TERMS A PERSON MAY SERVE IN THE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO NO
GREATER THAN SIX AND TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TERMS
A PERSON MAY SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE TO
NO GREATER THAN TWO, OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CALL
A CONVENTION FOR THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE PURPOSE OF
PROPOSING SUCH AN AMENDMENT FOR SUBMISSION TO THE
STATES FOR RATIFICATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Whereas, the Congress of the United States was originally envisioned by
the Founding Fathers as a non-partisan, part-time legislative body whose
members would take time from their normal businesses and professions
to attend the congressional session for four to five months annually; and
Whereas, the press of the nation's business has forced the Congress to
become increasingly a highly-structured, professional, and hierarchial
institution rather than an informal, flexible gathering of citizens and
legal intellects that was obtained in the Federalist Era; and
Whereas, the power of the incumbency has grown over time and with
the institution of electronic media to the point that the incumbent is
nearly unassailable in any normal election; and
Whereas, the seniority system in the Congress, though recently
reformed, still places disproportionate stress on electoral longevity; and
Whereas, innovative ideas and rejuvenated vigor are more likely to come
to the Congress through new members fresh from association with the
American people; and
Whereas, the most common complaint that the public makes about
congressional service is that Congressmen spend more of their time
running for office than attending to their duties; and
Whereas, the power of incumbency makes biennial congressional
elections an expensive, exasperating, and, ultimately, rather meaningless
waste of each Congressman's time and talents; and
Whereas, under Article V of the Constitution of the United States, an
amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by the Congress, or on
the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states, the
Congress shall call a constitutional convention for the purpose of
proposing an amendment, which, in either case, shall become part of the
Constitution when ratified by three-fourths of the several states. Now,
therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That the Congress of the United States is hereby petitioned to propose
an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, for submission
to the states for ratification, to limit the number of terms a person may
serve in the United States House of Representatives to no more than six
and to limit the number of terms a person may serve in the United States
Senate to no more than two, and to provide that such limitation shall not
apply to members serving at the time this amendment becomes effective
and who are re-elected; and
Be it further resolved, that alternatively, effective July 1, 1991, pursuant
to Article V of the Constitution of the United States, the General
Assembly of the State of South Carolina makes application to the
Congress of the United States to call a convention for the specific and
exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, for submission to the states for ratification, to limit the
number of terms a person may serve in the United States House of
Representatives to no greater than six and to limit the number of terms
a person may serve in the United States Senate to no greater than two
and to provide that such limitation shall not apply to members serving
at the time this amendment becomes effective and who are re-elected;
and
Be it further resolved, that if the Congress proposes and submits to the
states for ratification, within sixty days after the legislatures of
two-thirds of the states have made application for such convention, an
amendment to the Constitution of the United States similar in subject
matter to that contained in this resolution, then this application for a
convention shall no longer be of any force or effect; and
Be it further resolved, that this application and request be deemed null
and void, rescinded, and of no effect in the event that such convention
not be limited to such specific and exclusive purpose; and
Be it further resolved, that this application by the members of the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina constitutes a
continuing application in accordance with Article V of the Constitution
of the United States until at least two-thirds of the legislatures of the
several states have made application for a similar convention pursuant
to Article V, or the Congress has proposed an amendment to the
Constitution of the United States similar in subject matter to that
contained in this resolution; and
Be it further resolved, that certified copies of this resolution be
transmitted by the South Carolina Secretary of State to the President and
the Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and the Clerk
of the United States House of Representatives, to each member of this
state's Congressional delegation, and to the presiding officer of each
house of each state legislature in the United States.
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