Speaker Paul Ryan, who just won his 10th term in the House, said Thursday that he backs President-elect Donald Trump’s call for term limits for members of Congress.
“I’ve always supported term limits. I’ve long been a fan of term limits,” the Wisconsin Republican told reporters at his weekly news conference. “I don’t know where all the other members stand, but it’s something I’ve always been [supportive of].”
{mosads}The Speaker’s remarks put him on the same page as Trump, who during his campaign vowed to “drain the swamp” in Washington. During an interview that aired Sunday on “60 Minutes,” Trump called on Congress to pass legislation to limit terms.
Asked if he himself would draft such legislation, Ryan demurred.
“I’ll leave it up to others to decide that, Judiciary Committee,” he said. “I’ve actually been in favor of term limits ever since I’ve been here, before I came.”
In 2012, when Ryan was running for vice president, a man at a town hall in Waukesha, Wis., quizzed Ryan about whether he and his running mate, Mitt Romney, would back term limits. Specifically, the man asked about two six-year terms for senators and six two-year terms for House members.
Ryan replied at the time he has “always been a fan of term limits,” according to The Washington Post.
“Yeah, I co-sponsored that when I was in Congress,” Ryan said. “I agree with that. I’ve always supported that in Congress. That takes a constitutional amendment. What you don’t want to do is have a state do it to itself and short-change its seniority and its clout in Congress.”
“But I’ve always been a fan of term limits. I’ve always supported that,” he continued. “I’ve always believed that this should be something that you serve temporary, not for an entire lifetime.”