Feb. 27 is National Term Limits Day, commemorating the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, which limits a president to two terms in office. This year marks the 75th anniversary of that historic amendment — a reminder that when Washington refuses to act, the states can and must lead.
The idea of term limits is not new. It was debated at the Constitutional Convention and discussed during the presidencies of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Washington ultimately set the precedent himself, voluntarily stepping down after two terms and establishing an unwritten rule that guided the presidency for nearly 150 years. That tradition held until Franklin D. Roosevelt sought and won a third term in 1940 as the nation faced the looming threat of World War II.
By 1944, concern over unlimited presidential power had grown. Republican challenger Thomas Dewey made presidential term limits a campaign issue, and although he lost the election, the idea resonated with the American public. In the years that followed, momentum built across the country. Congress passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, and in 1951 it became part of the Constitution after being ratified by the states.
President Harry Truman, though exempted from the amendment, believed deeply that two terms were sufficient for any president. He chose not to seek re-election in 1952 and spent the rest of his life advocating for congressional term limits — a reform Congress has repeatedly refused to enact for itself.
Today, the need for term limits is even clearer, especially to Alaskans. Our state was founded on principles of independence, accountability, and citizen leadership. We know what happens when power becomes entrenched and disconnected from the people it is meant to serve. That is why congressional term limits remain one of the most popular and bipartisan reforms in America. According to a Pew Research poll, 87 percent of Americans — Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike — support limiting the number of terms members of Congress can serve.
There is movement in Washington, at least on paper. More than 150 members of Congress have pledged to support term limits. In the House, Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina has introduced legislation which would limit House members to three terms and Senators to two. In the Senate, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has introduced a companion resolution. Yet history tells us the hard truth: Congress is unlikely to pass meaningful term limits on itself.
That is why the Constitution gives states like Alaska another option.
Article V allows states to call for a limited convention to propose constitutional amendments when Congress fails to act. This is the same pressure that ultimately forced Congress to move on presidential term limits in the 1940s. Across the country, a growing number of states are passing resolutions calling for a convention limited solely to proposing congressional term limits.
Alaska should be among them.
Alaskans understand that self-government only works when elected officials remember who they work for — and when they know they cannot stay in office forever. Term limits would restore accountability, encourage fresh ideas, and ensure that Congress better reflects the citizens it represents, not permanent political careers.
On this National Term Limits Day, we celebrate the passage of the 22nd Amendment and recommit ourselves to finishing the job. If term limits are good enough for the president, they should be good enough for Congress.
Alaska has never been afraid to lead. Now is the time for our state to once again stand up for the Constitution, for accountability, and for the people.
Happy National Term Limits Day — and let’s finally bring term limits to Congress.
Sharon Jackson is the Alaska State Chair for U.S. Term Limits.
