Congress proposes allowing presidents three terms instead of two.

What it does

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to limit presidents to three total terms, with an additional restriction: a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms, and a vice president or acting president who assumes office mid-term and serves more than two years of that term can be elected president only twice thereafter. The amendment would require ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures within seven years to take effect.

Why we flagged it

This is a straightforward constitutional amendment proposal that directly states its mechanism: limiting presidential terms to three total, with restrictions on consecutive service. It is not a statute, appropriation, or regulatory change—it is a proposal for structural constitutional reform.

What the text implies

• The amendment would retroactively affect any sitting president who has already served two terms, potentially creating a constitutional question about whether it applies to the current or future officeholders.
• The provision restricting vice presidents or acting presidents who serve more than two years of an assumed term to only two additional terms creates a complex eligibility calculus that could generate litigation over what constitutes 'more than two years' of service.

The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.

Who it affects

The amendment restricts democratic choice by permanently capping presidential terms, which some view as protecting against executive power accumulation and others see as limiting voters' ability to re-elect a preferred leader. The trade-off between preventing indefinite executive tenure and preserving electoral freedom is genuine and contested.