Salt Lake Telegram | 1946-12-28 | Page 2 | Gop to Speed Action on Plan to Limit President's Tenure

GOP to Speed Action on Plan To Limit President's Tenure WASHINGTON. Dee. 28 CTV Leaders of the new Republican majoritiea In congreaa Saturday planned epeedy action on pi opoaaia ' that future prealdenta be limited to six or eight years In office. Sen. Butler (It, Neb.) told a reporter he will "have a resolution resolu-tion ready to drop In the hopper" soon after congreaa aaaembtea next week, making two terms the maximum presidential tenure. House Republican leaders planned an identical step. Butler and Sen. Bridges (R-, N. H.) were designated by the senate Republican ateerlng committee com-mittee to study the queetlon of presidential tenure and make recommendations rec-ommendations to the Republican conference which meets Monday. Even If oongreae approves a term limitation and It la signed by the president, it may take several sev-eral yeara to become effective, because all pending proposals have been offered as constitutional amendments. If approved by the congress and the president they then must be ratified by three-fourths of the states, and this always has required re-quired considerable time. The late Frestdent Franklin D. Roosevelt shattered the tradition agalnat third terms In 1940 and then went on to win a fourth In 1944. Butler said there la some difference differ-ence among1 senate Republicans about the exact limitation. Several Sev-eral have Introduced resolutions in previous congresses calling for a flat limit of two four-year terma. Others have suggested increasing the term to six years and limiting presidents to a single term. During the last session, extensive exten-sive hearings on such proposals were held by a Judiciary subcommittee subcom-mittee headed by Sen. Hatch (D., N. M.). This subcommittee recommended a measure by Sen. Morse (R., Ore.) to impose a limit of two four-year terms or any parts of two four-year terms. The full senate judiciary committeo failed to act on the matter and it died when the senate adjourned.