THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 30, 1995 TAG: 9503300375
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KATHARINE Q. SEELYE, THE NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
After months of hot oratory about the evils of career politicians, the House of Representatives voted squarely against the will of the people Wednesday night. It rejected four proposals that would have limited the number of terms its members could serve.
The votes were the first ever to be held on a constitutional amendment on term limits - a bad idea, acknowledged some of its reluctant supporters, but one whose time had come.
Still, all four measures failed, making term limits the first item in the Republicans' ``Contract With America'' to go down to defeat in the House.
Although polls showed that the idea of term limits had broad popular support among Americans, Democrats said the proposals were doomed from the start because Republicans did not want to cut short their time in Washington any more than Democrats did.
Indeed, the most stirring denunciation of the concept of term limits came from a prominent Republican, Henry Hyde of Illinois, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who commanded the well of the House chamber for nearly 15 minutes.
``I just can't be an accessory to the dumbing down of democracy,'' said Hyde, who was first elected in 1974.
Quoting sources as diverse as the political philosopher Edmund Burke and the raconteur and pianist Oscar Levant, Hyde extolled the value of experience, lamented ``this corrosive attack on the consent of the governed'' and urged his colleagues not to yield ``to the angry, pessimistic populism that drives this movement.''
His speech drew standing ovations from both sides of the aisle and applause from the gallery of tourists - and consigned those who spoke after him to near-oblivion.
A Democrat, Rep. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, succinctly summarized the core of the opposition. ``We've already got term limits,'' he said. ``They're called elections.''
Democrats contended that the Republican leadership had organized the votes in such a way to guarantee their failure.
``There are more people in this body voting yes and praying no on term limits,'' said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., than those voting no on pay raises while praying yes.
The first measure that lost Wednesday night would have set 12-year limits for members of both the House and Senate and would have applied them to people now in Congress. That is, anyone who had already served 12 years could not run for re-election. This Democratic-sponsored measure failed with 297 votes against it and 135 for it.
The second measure that failed would have set six-year limits for members of the House and 12-year limits for the Senate. This proposal lost with 316 members, including 133 Republicans, voting against it and 114, including 96 Republicans, for it.
The third vote that failed would have set 12-year limits for people elected to the House or Senate after the amendment was ratified, and would have allowed states to set even shorter terms. It failed 164 to 265.
The fourth measure, sponsored by Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Fla., would have limited members of the House and Senate to 12 years but was silent on any state restrictions. It was defeated 227 for, 204 against and 1 voting present.
Just before the fourth and final vote, Speaker Newt Gingrich took the floor to tell members that, despite Wednesday night's votes, term limits would eventually become law because Americans are ``sick of professional politicians.''
He pledged that if Republicans retained their House majority in the 1996 elections, term limits would be the first item voted on when Congress convened in 1997.
``In the end,'' he declared, ``the will of the American people is sovereign.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
THE "CONTRACT" CLOCK
JOHN EARLE/Staff
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]
SOURCE: The Contract With America, news reports
HOW THEY VOTED
A ``yes'' vote is a vote to limit lawmakers to 12 years' service
in the House or Senate.
Herbert Bateman, R-Va. No
Owen B. Pickett, D-Va. No
Robert C. Scott, D-Va. No
Norman Sisisky, D-Va. No
Eva Clayton, D-N.C. No
Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C. Yes
by CNB