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FEDERALhearing transcript
High Impact

1978 Senate Hearings on Congressional Term Limits

Original title: Congressional tenure: hearings before the Subcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety- fifth Congress, second session, on S.J. Res 27 and S.J. Res. 28 ... March 14, and 16, 1978.

July 20, 2026

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The Frame

What this does

These hearings represent the formal legislative consideration of proposals to limit the number of terms a member of Congress can serve, which would fundamentally alter federal election eligibility and legislative turnover.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Members of Congress

The proposed resolutions would restrict the number of terms these individuals are eligible to serve.

U.S. Voters

The proposed amendments would limit the pool of candidates available for election to federal office.

What changed

Last recorded activity July 20, 2026.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document records the official transcripts of Senate subcommittee hearings held in March 1978 regarding proposed constitutional amendments to establish term limits for members of Congress. The hearings focused on the legal and political implications of 27 and S.J. Res 28.

Key Facts

  • The Subcommittee on the Constitution held hearings on March 14 and March 16, 1978.
  • The hearings specifically addressed the text and implications of S.J. Res 27 and S.J. Res 28.
  • The subject matter of the resolutions is the establishment of term limits for members of the United States Congress.
  • The proceedings took place during the Ninety-fifth Congress, second session.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of these hearings?
The hearings were held to gather testimony and debate the merits of proposed constitutional amendments ( 27 and 28) that would limit how long members of Congress can serve.
Did these hearings result in a change to the Constitution?
The document is a record of hearings; it does not indicate the final passage or ratification of a constitutional amendment.

Why It Matters

These hearings represent the formal legislative consideration of proposals to limit the number of terms a member of Congress can serve, which would fundamentally alter federal election eligibility and legislative turnover.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Early Term Limit Advocacy

The document confirms that formal legislative efforts to impose congressional term limits via constitutional amendment were active as early as 1978.

Connected Entities

organizationSubcommittee on the Constitution of the Committee on the JudiciaryThe Senate body responsible for conducting the hearings.Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance80
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz5
    Current news / social attention level

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