Bill Lynch proposes term limits

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - One of the candidates vying for Patrick Kennedy's Congressional seat is calling for an end to tenures as long as Kennedy's.

Bill Lynch wants to institute term limits. The former RI Democratic Party Chairman, who's yet to win a seat, tells us he's confident he can propose the constitutional amendment as a freshman and get it passed.

His proposal adds up to a twelve year limit: 2 terms in the Senate, 6 terms in the House. Lynch says even if term limits are not approved by two thirds of the House and Senate, he'll step away from Congress if he's able to win a half dozen times.

To those who say six terms isn't much of a limit, Lynch says you have to look at the years. He believes 12 years is long enough for any Congressman to do what they can to fix what he calls a broken system.

David Cicilline wouldn't comment on camera or answer questions about this issue directly, but in a statement he proposes what he calls a threefold approach:

- A lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists
- Public financing of campaigns
- Ending the influence of corporations in campaigns

David Segal is not against term limits, but believes the first step should be campaign finance reform. "We need to level the playing field and make it possible for ordinary people to run viable campaigns and I think the way that we do that is by instituting some sort of public financing of elections."

Anthony Gemma also turned down an offer respond on camera but in a written statement claimed Lynch launched the idea without voter input. Gemma is pitching what he calls a focus system of metrics and measurements, by which, he says, "voters can track my performance as their Congressman..."

Republican John Laughlin calls this a death bed confession and questions Lynch's timing. "This is a guy who never was for term limits before and in fact touted the long service of Patrick Kennedy. I've been for term limits since I started running a year ago."

When asked, "are your colleagues, Reed, Kennedy Whitehouse, Langevin part of the problem?" Lynch said, "I wouldn't say they are part of the problem. Congress is an institution. I'm not naming any individual. We need to fix the system."

Lynch did say the amendment wouldn't limit a legislator who serves the limit in one chamber from running for office in the other chamber and serving another 12 years.