NORCROSS, GA – Georgia State Representative Arlene Beckles has officially joined a growing, non-partisan national movement aimed at imposing term limits on members of the U.S. Congress. On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Rep. Beckles, who represents the 96th district, signed a formal pledge committing her support to a state-led initiative that seeks to trigger a constitutional amendment for this purpose.
The pledge, promoted by the advocacy group U.S. Term Limits (USTL), is part of a nationwide strategy to convene a convention of states under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The convention’s sole focus would be to propose a constitutional amendment establishing term limits for senators and representatives in Washington, D.C.
By signing, Rep. Beckles has committed to “cosponsor, vote for, and defend the resolution applying for an Article V convention for the sole purpose of enacting term limits on Congress.”
This state-focused strategy became the primary path forward for term limits advocates after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1995 ruling in Thornton v. U.S. Term Limits. In that case, the court determined that individual states could not unilaterally impose term limits on their federal representatives; only a constitutional amendment could achieve that goal.
Nick Tomboulides, CEO of U.S. Term Limits, explained that the movement is pursuing a two-track approach, but that the state-level effort is paramount due to the unlikelihood that federal lawmakers will vote to limit their own power.
“The Constitution permits amendments to be proposed by either two-thirds of Congress or two-thirds of the states,” Tomboulides stated. “While we hope Congress will self-impose term limits, the reality is they are unlikely to do so without external pressure. Therefore, it’s crucial to secure state-level buy-in from legislators like Representative Beckles.”
The process requires 34 states to pass resolutions applying for the convention. Once an amendment is formally proposed, it must then be ratified by 38 states to become part of the Constitution.
The push for term limits is backed by overwhelming public support across the political spectrum. A recent Pew Research poll highlighted this broad consensus, indicating that 87% of Americans favor term limits for members of Congress, with a strong majority of 56% expressing fervent support for the idea.
“Americans overwhelmingly reject the career politician model and favor replacing it with citizen leadership,” Tomboulides added. “Rep. Beckles recognizes this and is committed to helping us achieve our goal.”
The addition of Rep. Beckles to the list of supportive state lawmakers marks another step for an initiative that aims to fundamentally reshape the political landscape in Washington by ensuring that service in Congress is temporary, rather than a lifelong career.
