Philip Blumel: Unleash the titans. Hi, I’m Philip Blumel. Welcome to No Uncertain Terms, the Official Podcast of The Term Limits Movement. This is episode 273 published on October 24th, 2025.
Stacey Selleck: Your sanctuary from partisan politics.
Philip Blumel: This podcast has been chronicling the success of our heretofore quiet, diligent effort to impose term limits on the US Congress. Well, you know the score. Twelve states have so far officially applied for an amendment proposing convention under Article V of the US Constitution, limited to the subject of congressional term limits. But now, the term limits movement is shifting into overdrive. The leveling up announcement came in the form of an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday, October 22nd. Coauthored by two political heavyweights representing different political parties, former Maryland Congressman, David Trone and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis. The piece made the case that, “The time has come to put term limits on members of Congress.” With their op-ed in hand, the duo will hit the Sunday political talk shows and put the national political elite on notice. Then, they’ll move into the state capitols where the real action is urging legislators to utilize their constitutional powers to finally impose term limits on the US Congress. This is something demanded by well over 80% of the American people including big majorities of Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Both of these successful men have served in Congress and they know what they’re talking about.
Philip Blumel: David Trone is founder and co-owner of Total Wine & More. He represented Maryland’s 6th congressional district from 2019 to 2025. Ron DeSantis is of course Governor of Florida, he represented the state’s 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2018. Imagine Ron DeSantis in the capitols of the red states inspiring his political comrades to join the fight for competitive elections. Imagine David Trone in the blue states laying out the plan to dismantle the seniority system in Congress which guarantees the dominance of career politicians. Imagine ’em teaming up in the purple states, battling the overwhelming influence of lobbyists on legislation and money in elections. No, don’t imagine it. Let’s watch it together. I’ll be reporting on it right here on the No Uncertain Terms Podcast. I personally have gone door to door in state capitols pushing for state applications for the term limits convention as we call it, so have many other US Term Limit staffers and activists and we have 12 states to show for it. But I’ve also spent a lot of time cooling my heels in politicians’ waiting rooms only to have a low-level staffer come out and take notes about my concerns. Wah wah.
Philip Blumel: But as co-chairs of U.S. Term Limits Amendment V campaign, Trone and DeSantis will open doors that have been shut to us. And when we come by the next day, who can doubt our meetings will be more fruitful? How many states will we sign on in 2026? You have a role to play in this campaign also. In fact, two of them. Both run through the termlimits.com website. The first is termlimits.com/takeaction, this is where we put you in touch with the important decision makers in your state. Go there, take the action we recommend. Please. The second is termlimits.com/donate. Yes, that’s right. I’m gonna ask you for money again. But your last contribution got us to 12 states. How many states did we have when you made your first contribution to US Term Limits? Two? Four? Eight? Well, you blinked and now we’re at 12. Was it worth it? Let’s keep the momentum going.
S?: This is a public service announcement.
Philip Blumel: Bert Accomando is founder of Term Limits for a Stronger America, a new national grassroots group adding the people’s voices to the call for a term limits convention. Here, Bert talks with Alyssa Farah Griffin on the podcast of the popular TV program, The View.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: 87% of Americans support term limits for members of Congress according to Pew Research. But despite the overwhelming bipartisan support from voters, legal hurdles and institutional resistance have prevented term limits from becoming law. Our next guest is hoping to change that with his nonpartisan organization. Please welcome the founder of Term Limits for a Stronger America, Bert Accomando.
Bert Accomando: Thank you. Thank you very much.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Bert, thank you for being here.
Bert Accomando: Thank you.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: So, you’ve got a very interesting story. You emigrated to the United States from Italy as a child, you went on to run a dozen successful businesses, but then you decided to start Term Limits for a Stronger America. What made you wanna start this organization?
Bert Accomando: To be honest, it was my wife’s fault.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: It often is.
Bert Accomando: Basically, everyone’s complaining about what’s going on in politics. It’s been going on forever. So, my wife said, “Either shut up or do something, ” and I’m doing something.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: That’s very good advice.
Bert Accomando: This is a worthwhile endeavor. Like you said, 87% of the population wants term limits and it’s probably the best job in the world to be a congressman in Washington, DC. And the reason is 20% of the general public has any faith in them and their ability to get reelected is about 95%. That’s like working for somebody and you got a guaranteed job for a long, long time. So, it’s time that we the people stand up and do something about it. And that’s the whole purpose of my being here today and starting Term Limits for a Stronger America.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Absolutely. Well, what are the term limits you would like to see? I worked in the House of Representatives, which to remind folks is two-year terms and then the Senate is a little longer, it’s six years. So, what do you think is kinda the appropriate range?
Bert Accomando: We did a fair amount of studying on this. We looked at some of the states that have it and other countries. It seems that three terms for the House, which is a total of six years, and two terms for the Senate, which is a total of 12 years. The average stay in Congress for senators is just under 12 years anyway and the average for the House is about eight or nine years. So, we’re close to it. The real issue we have is that there are some people that just outstay their welcome, to be honest with you. You have congressmen that have been there for 40, 50 years, even longer than I’ve been alive. Just kidding.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Longer than I’ve been alive. Well, despite living through very divided times, this is actually the overwhelming majority of voters do support term limits for members of Congress. But why do you think there’s such a disconnect between the public sentiment and then what we’re actually seeing in Washington where there really hasn’t been any real movement on term limits in recent years?
Bert Accomando: The job is just too good, they don’t wanna leave. When lobbyists spend $4 billion a year and that’s $8 million per congressperson to keep them there, that’s scary. But we the people are the ones that are suffering for it. There is a really cool study done by the University of Pennsylvania and it was followed up by the University of Northwestern that basically said that if lobbyists want a specific bill passed, they have a 80-90% chance of getting it passed. If we the people want a bill passed, we have less than 20%.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Wow.
Bert Accomando: So, we do have an issue. But it’s a system issue, it’s not a people issue. I think there’s really good people in Congress, but the system eats ’em up and chews them out. We can change that.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Well, it’s really interesting you say that. I often use this statistic. Unfortunately, we so often talk about gun violence on this show and there’s a statistic or a poll from Fox News of all places that 86% of Americans support background checks. But the disconnect between the overwhelming bipartisan public support and then the lobbyist influence there is the big impediment. So, it is really more institutional than public. But I wanna ask you, as you mentioned, a lot of members of Congress actually run on supporting term limits. I think if Senator Ted Cruz, he supports them, he’s called for two terms but he’s actually currently on his third term right now. So, how do you have Congress sort of police itself on this? Will that ever happen?
Bert Accomando: The founders came up… You know, they’re pretty smart guys, I gotta give them credit. We’ve been around almost 250 years under the same political system and they were afraid that somebody, that Washington or the central government or the federalist government was going to overpower the people. So, they gave us a second option to getting a constitutional amendment. It’s called Article V Convention. If we the people decide that we wanna have a constitutional amendment to change term limits, we need 34 states to vote for it. And if 34 states vote for it, Congress is not involved, they must call a Constitutional Convention. Therefore, we’re not subject to the games, the silliness or whatever you wanna call it that goes on in Washington. We have the control, we the people have the control and that’s what this movement is all about.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: It’s a good reminder there’s another way to do it that doesn’t require Congress.
Bert Accomando: Right. Congress can call for a constitutional amendment and they need, I think, 66% of Congress…
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Bert Accomando: But they still have to go to 38 states to ratify it. If we get 34 states that say we wanna have a Constitutional Convention on this specific item, we can do that. We can.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: So, one of the pushbacks to term limits… Because I used to kinda waffle on this and now I’m very much in support of them but is that there is institutional knowledge that longer term members of the House and Senate bring and that perhaps newer members may not. I think if the Armed Services Committee or the Appropriations committees that have complex jobs, what would you say to the concern that you might have people kinda learning the job every few years as they come in?
Bert Accomando: The facts don’t support that, to be honest with you. Okay? Their jobs is not that complicated. 85% of the bills that are passed are done by the lobbyists, are written by the lobbyists. That’s one. The second thing is most CEOs, I think their job, their average length is about seven years. So, we’re giving ’em 12 years, that’s enough time to learn what is really going on. I will give ’em credit, they’re really good politically. They do understand how to play the political game. But we’re going to try to overcome that by enforcing we the people process.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: Well, and that’s what I wanna close by asking you. So, for people who wanna see term limits in Congress, how do you recommend they make their voices heard?
Bert Accomando: Okay. This has been around for a long time as you know. So, we’ve joined forces with other organizations that have wanted term limits for a long time. The one organization that’s been around for 35+ years is US Term Limits. They are working the inside game, they’re dealing with state legislatures and so on. But every amendment that’s been passed has been forced by we the people. So we, as Term Limits for a Stronger America, are gonna take that process on. We’re doing a national campaign, education campaign on term limits, why we need ’em and what the process is in place. So, combine the inside game with the outside game, this is the first time it’s being done. So, I’m kinda hopeful that we can pull it off in a short time.
Alyssa Farah Griffin: That’s very important work. I really appreciate. Thank you so much.
Bert Accomando: My pleasure.
Philip Blumel: If you are not a subscriber to the New York Times, perhaps you missed Wednesday’s Manifesto by David Trone and Ron DeSantis. Here it is in its entirety. Opinion Guest Essay, New York Times, October 22nd, 2025. We both served in Congress, it shouldn’t be a retirement home; by Ron DeSantis and David Trone. Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, is the Governor of Florida. Mr. Trone, a Maryland Democrat, is a former member of Congress. A government shutdown grips Washington, leaving Americans frustrated once again with partisan squabbling. The endless stalemates and inability to find common ground are reflective of a deeper problem. The House and Senate are dominated by career politicians buoyed by reelection rates that routinely exceed 90% who seem more concerned with clinging to power than serving the public. The time has come to put term limits on members of Congress. In that spirit, the two of us, one a Republican and one a Democrat, will be the co-chairs of a national campaign with the organization US Term Limits aimed at restoring accountability, competition and common sense on Capitol Hill. The idea of imposing term limits is hardly novel. Indeed, our founders anticipated this problem. The Federalist No. 57 notes that, “Limitation of the term of appointments ‘is the most effective method for maintaining a ‘proper responsibility to the people.”
Philip Blumel: Some observers argue that our congressional elections already serve as de facto term limits, that if voters wanted to send their senators and representatives home, they could just vote them out. But the reality is that incumbents today build up an overwhelming advantage, making them extremely difficult to defeat. Incumbents routinely out-fundraise their challengers by nearly insurmountable margins. In the 2024 election, according to data collected by OpenSecrets, PACs contributed more than $11 to congressional incumbents for every $1 they send to challengers. There are additional advantages like name recognition and the ability to send taxpayer-funded mailers, those help those who are already in power. Most members of Congress are, by any reasonable definition, career politicians. In that way, Congress too often can be a self-serving closed club of political insiders looking to protect their power rather than a true form of ideas aimed at benefiting the American public. Some people see redistricting reform as a fix for what ails Washington. However, such reforms would do little to curb the advantages incumbents enjoy in primaries and safe districts nor would they dismantle the seniority system that stifles innovation in Congress. Redrawing district boundaries would not erase things like name recognition and fundraising advantages that allow incumbents to cling to power.
Philip Blumel: While the Constitution didn’t include congressional term limits, the principle of rotation was woven into the early American political culture. Starting with George Washington’s example of voluntarily stepping aside after two terms, no president served more than two terms until Franklin Roosevelt broke precedent with his four elections leading to the passage of the 22nd Amendment. If term limits are good for the presidency, why not Congress? After all, members of Congress wield enormous influence over our lives. They write our federal laws, they control our tax dollars and provide oversight of the executive branch. The concentration of power amongst career politicians fuels partisanship by empowering lobbyists who profit off long-standing relationships and deepens public cynicism about government. America has a ballooning national debt for which both Republicans and Democrats are to blame. If you wanna know why, look no further than politicians singularly focused on on spending your tax dollars in ways that bolster their chances of reelection. Greater turnover would mean more politicians invested in the interests of their constituents and the nation as a whole over those of entrenched and influential advocacy groups. It would go a long way towards restoring trust in our political institutions and reducing the influence of money in our elections.
Philip Blumel: So, how do we make this happen? There are two potential paths. Congress itself could pass term limits. In 1995, a majority of House members voted in favor of a term limits constitutional amendment, though they fell short of the required two thirds supermajority. Members of both chambers should act again and vote to limit their own power. But if Congress refuses to act, states can take matters into their own hands through Article V amendment writing convention. This mechanism seems tailor-made for this scenario, it allows states to propose an amendment when Washington will not. Twelve states have already passed single subject resolutions calling for term limits, more than a third of the way toward the 34 states necessary for that process to move forward, and nearly a quarter of the way towards the 38 states needed to ratify the amendment. Neither approach would be easy, but the threat of a convention would almost certainly compel Congress to pass an amendment, making the arduous trek down either path critical to creating a more representative government. At a time when the country feels increasingly divided, this effort at reform would bring people together. Americans are best served when their representatives bring fresh energy, new ideas and their unique backgrounds to the table for robust debate on the challenges facing our nation.
Philip Blumel: We believe reaching across the aisle and leading this effort together is the first step. But on this issue, it will ultimately be up to everyday citizens making their voices heard. Next, no kings. Last weekend was the second nationwide No Kings rally and protest across the United States. In conjunction with the first No Kings event earlier this year, we dedicated an entire episode of this podcast to the subject. Feel free to go back and listen to it at termlimits.com/podcast, it was episode number 265. Now, term limits is all about limiting the abuse of political power. No kings? Of course not. We’re US Term Limits. What is a king? Well, according to Merriam-Webster, it is the, “male monarch of a major territorial unit, especially one whose position is hereditary and rules for life.” In what provision, more than any other in the US Constitution, guarantees the United States will never have a king? You know it, it’s the 22nd Amendment, presidential term limits. Ratified in 1951, the 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two terms in office, whether consecutive or nonconsecutive. This ensures that no individual can hold the nation’s highest office indefinitely, accumulating power and influence to the point where they resemble a monarch. No kings? Absolutely.
Stacey Selleck: Like the show? You can help by subscribing and leaving a five-star review on both Apple and Spotify. It’s free.
Philip Blumel: Thanks for joining us for another episode of No Uncertain Terms. The Term Limits Convention bills are moving through the state legislatures. This could be a breakthrough year for the Term Limits movement. To check on the status of the Term Limits Convention Resolution in your state, go to termlimits.com/takeaction. There, you will see if it has been introduced and where it stands in the committee process on its way to the floor vote. If there’s action to take, you’ll see a Take Action button by your state. Click it. This will give you the opportunity to send a message to the most relevant legislators urging them to support the legislation. They have to know you are watching. That’s termlimits.com/takeaction. If your state has already passed the Term Limits Convention Resolution or the bill has not been introduced in your state, you can still help. Please consider making a contribution to US Term Limits. It is our aim to hit the reset button on the US Congress and you can help. Go to termlimits.com/donate, termlimits.com/donate. Thanks. We’ll be back next week.
Stacey Selleck: Find us on most social media @USTermLimits. Like us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and now LinkedIn.
S?: USTL.