Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas has introduced a proposal aiming to restrict pay and power for lawmakers who have served in Congress for 12 years or more. This plan targets both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The proposal specifies that any legislator, including Delegates or Resident Commissioners, who has accumulated 12 or more years of service in either legislative chamber would be ineligible for certain benefits. These benefits are outlined in the proposal’s subsection (b).
Under Roy’s plan, such veteran lawmakers would lose their eligibility for pay and for roles in leadership positions in either the House or the Senate. They would also be barred from chairing or ranking in standing or select committees.
“For too long, Washington has rewarded longevity with greater power, higher pay, and deeper entrenchment,” Roy stated in a press release. “If members of Congress want to serve beyond 12 years without a constitutional amendment, they should do so without taxpayer-funded salaries and without holding leadership roles,” he added.
Roy, who has been serving in the House since 2019, recently lost a Republican primary runoff for the Texas attorney general race to Senator Mayes Middleton.
The proposal outlines that these restrictions would be established as part of the rulemaking power of the Senate and the House, treating them as part of each body’s rules. It acknowledges the constitutional right of either House to alter its procedural rules at any time.
These restrictions would take effect with the 121st Congress, beginning in 2029.
The U.S. Constitution allows each House to define its procedural rules. However, it also mandates that compensation for Senators and Representatives is defined by law and paid by the U.S. Treasury.
Alex Nitzberg is a writer at Fox News Digital.