Ohio Senator Rob Portman recently announced he won’t seek re-election in 2022. Rob Portman served as a member of member of the House of Representatives, as President George W. Bush’s Office of Management and Budget Director and when he packs it in, two terms as a U.S. Senator.

The Senator from Cincinnati took a page out of the playbook of the Roman general Cincinnatus – who gave up his power to return home to till his fields.

Good for him. More than 20 years in public life is a great service to the people of Ohio and the nation. More Members of Congress should follow this lead. Nancy Pelosi has been in Congress for 35 years. Chuck Schumer has been there 23 years. Mitch McConnell, a whopping 41 years.  They’re newbies compared to some others. 

A Senator leaving after two terms ought to be the rule, not the exception. A Congressman who serves for eight or ten years, before going back to their business or private life, should be the norm in a republic.

Unfortunately, it’s not. Dozens of them have been there so long, they’ve become part of the furniture at the Capitol.

America is successful because America is innovative, dynamic, and bold. It tackles challenges head-on. It adapts and changes. Congress behaves in the exact opposite fashion. It is staid, risk averse, crafty, corrupt, and self-interested.

Our Founders didn’t go into public service because they were machine politicians or because they wanted to grab Cadillac benefits, pensions, and perks.

Thomas Jefferson once cautioned “When once a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.” Ronald Reagan famously once said that some people go to Washington to be something. Others go to Washington to do something. The latter is increasingly in short supply.

Americans can barely agree on what day it is these days but according to a Zogby poll last year 87 percent of men and 81 percent of women support term limits. But it doesn’t happen because people are addicted to power.

A constitutional amendment on term limits was put before the Senate by Ted Cruz just this week. Term limits for congressional leaders also must be a priority.

Americans should demand bold change. If a Member of Congress doesn’t support term limits they should be shown the door by the voters.

Congressional term limits will help inject new ideas, new innovation, and new energy into a legislative branch controlled by career politicians who believe they are only marginally accountable to the people.

The office and the office holder cannot matter more than making progress on chronic problems like immigration, welfare reform, Social Security reform, economic empowerment and urban decay.   

So much of this comes down to money. Congressional races now cost on average $1.3 million. For senate races that number is $10.4 million. In Georgia, Sens. Purdue and Loeffler spent more than $144 million.

The system as it presently exists isn’t designed for there to be alternatives. There’s an entire infrastructure set up to protect incumbents regardless of how effective they are. Think of it like a tenure system for politicians. It works very well for them, but Americans are left with a moribund institution that doesn’t serve their needs.  

Today more than 90 percent of incumbents in Congress get re-elected.

This is an 80-20 issue. This doesn’t even take a lot of political courage. People want this.

A lack of term limits and the unfair advantage the system provides to incumbents dampen the ability of viable candidates to run unless it’s in an often divisive, expensive, discouraged and risky primary.

We talk a lot about litmus tests in our politics and this should be the clearest of them all – do you support the will of the people – and want to reign in Washington’s career political class or not.

Rob Portman should enjoy his retirement. He’s earned it. But Americans shouldn’t have to wait for a Member to get fed up or be too sick, too old, or too dead before they decide to give up the trappings of the Capitol and like Cincinnatus – a true statesman - head back to tilling their fields.

Tom Basile is the host of Newsmax Television’s “America Right Now,” an author, and a columnist for the Washington Times. He served in the administration of George W. Bush. Learn more about him at www.TomBasile.com.

###