Coffman Proposes More Reforms for Congress
Introduces Bills to Enact Term Limits and Stop Automatic Pay Raises
(WASHINGTON) – Today U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman announced that he introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at reforming Congress. One bill would put an end to automatic annual pay raises for members of Congress, requiring federal lawmakers to vote on any salary increase, while the other bill would limit the number of terms a member of Congress may serve.
“The current system is set up to allow members of Congress to receive automatic pay raises without having to cast recorded votes for them and that’s just wrong,” Coffman said.
Currently, members of Congress get an automatic pay raise every year, unless they vote the salary increase down. Coffman’s bill, House Resolution 3673 [1], would require a recorded vote on any pay increase that members of Congress want to give themselves.
“Requiring recorded votes on pay increases will not only make the actions of Congress more transparent, but it is another step that will make Congress more accountable to the citizens who elect them,” Coffman said.
In addition to his plan to terminate automatic Congressional pay increases, Coffman also introduced a measure that would limit the number of terms U.S. Representatives and Senators can serve in Congress.
“Given the significance of seniority in Congress, the problem with term limits is that they have been voluntary with constituents from states that encouraged their members to pledge to limit their terms being at a disadvantage with states that don’t,” Coffman said.
Coffman’s bill, House Joint Resolution 93 [2] would propose an amendment to the Constitution that would limit Congressional terms to 12 years for both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“I believe that the solution is to make term limits mandatory by passing a constitutional amendment that would limit the terms for all members of Congress,” Coffman said.
Coffman’s bills to end automatic Congressional pay increases and to impose term limits on federal lawmakers are the latest proposals of his ongoing efforts to reform Congress. In addition to chairing the Congressional Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus, Coffman introduced House Resolution 270 [3] in January, which would cut Congressional pay by 10 percent as well as reduce Congressional office budgets and in September, Coffman introduced House Resolution 2913 [4] that would terminate the pension plan available to members of Congress.
“All of my reforms are about changing the culture of Washington, D.C. to make government work for the American people,” Coffman said.