Equitable Senority Rules

Any legislator who takes a pledge prior to their election to serve a specified maximum terms in office, shall have their seniority at the beginning of each session determined by the following formula. Years of service of most senior member * years served by member -------------------------------------------------- maximum years pledged to serve by member

Any member who breaks his pledge and serves beyond his declared maximum term limit, shall have his senority years cut in half for all years served beyond those pledged.

The minimum pledge term limit for for either the Senate or House shall be six years.

     There is a growing problem of inequity in the House and Senate between legislators who have taken up politics as a lifetime career and those who come to serve their country for a limited number of years and then go back to do something else.  The Congress is being overtaken by career politicians who may or may not be the most competant leaders in our Senate. More often than not, the end result of a career politician is a marked increase in political polarization as members from 'safe districts' don't have to heed to common sense of the majority, but they can take up extremist partisan positions that needlessly polarize our political process.  

    Many of these partisan problems can be resolved by allowing those who pledge to serve a limited number of terms have their senority in committee assignments determined by the ESR formula.  Senior career politicians from safe districts would have to share their power with representatives who attract enough support to get elected to serve several terms from swing districts.  

    The Equitable Senority Rule (ESR) would have the following beneficial effects on the politics of Congress :

• The rules as proposed don't necessarily take away the senority of 'lifers'. Rather those who have pledged to serve a limited time have their senority raised to an equitable prorated level.
• The rules allow for those already in Congress to take the pledge. This might promote some who might otherwise continue to serve as 'lifers' to take a pledge, serve their session at the max senority and then retire.
• It allows flexibility so that a member can choose their maximum term limit. For some that might be 6, 8, 10, 12 or more years.
• Senority and the ESR is to be determined by total years served, not consecutive years served.  
  • If Rep Joe pledges to serve for 3 terms, serves two terms (4 years) then takes a few years off to deal with family matters, Joe can come back and serve one more term without breaking his pledge.  If he serves a fourth term he will have broken his pledge.
• If someone finds it in the best interests of their district to serve beyond their pledge, they can freely do so, but their senority is cut if half. However, they should be able to compensate for this to some extent by the wisdom of their years of experience. Yes, this allows for a loop hole that some will abuse but it seems a reasonable compromise to the absolutes on either end that don't work well.
  • In other words, if Rep Mary pledges 8 years and then decides to run for 10 years (or more)., her senority upon the beginning of session of her ninth year would be only 5 years.