House Republicans for decades have prided themselves on their strict three-term limit for committee leaders, saying it promotes fresh blood in the party ranks.<\/p>\n

But that limit has grown less strict in recent years, and a growing number of GOP lawmakers are aching for a crackdown.<\/p>\n

Three of the 20 sitting House chairs have signaled interest in applying for a waiver to bypass the six-year term limit Republicans have had in place for more than 30 years. If each follows through, it would be the first time so many exceptions have been sought at once \u2014 and some Republicans are openly warning the practice is spinning out of control.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have term limits for a reason,\u201d House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole<\/a> (R-Okla.) said in an interview.<\/p>\n

The question will be in the hands of the House Republican Steering Committee<\/a>, a 35-member body representing a cross-section of the larger GOP conference. Depending on the outcome of the midterms \u2014 and the subsequent GOP leadership elections \u2014 the influential panel could also see an influx of younger members who might be even less inclined to give longtime committee leaders a two-year extension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don’t owe the old guys anything,\u201d Rep. Rich McCormick<\/a> (R-Ga.) said in an interview. \u201cThey don’t see seniority as the main thing anymore, because even leadership is pretty young. So this is a whole new generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The up-or-out dynamic has long been a point of distinction inside the House GOP, where generational resentments have been much more muted than among Democrats \u2014 who have no committee term limits and have seen younger members chafe as veterans spend a decade or more occupying top panel spots.<\/p>\n

This year, however, both Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson<\/a> of Pennsylvania and Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers<\/a> of Alabama have said they intend to seek waivers after leading their respective committees for six years already. So, too, has Rep. Ken Calvert<\/a> of California, who chairs the powerful Appropriations subcommittee on Defense<\/a> and is already serving a fourth term under a waiver. Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman<\/a> of Arkansas has also signaled he might seek an exception.<\/p>\n

As the chairs line up to make their case to the Steering Committee, many of its current members are publicly voicing their opposition to watering down the term limits rule, which dates to 1992 under the leadership of then-future Speaker Newt Gingrich.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say waivers are rare and will remain so,\u201d said Rep. Ryan Zinke<\/a> (R-Mont.), a Steering member. \u201cThere’s also a lot of talent that has been waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a reason we have term limits \u2014 they work,\u201d said Rep. Austin Scott<\/a> (R-Ga.), another Steering member who is challenging Thompson for the Agriculture spot.<\/p>\n

At least one top GOP leader is sending similar signals: Majority Whip Tom Emmer<\/a> said in a recent interview he\u2019s \u201cnot a fan\u201d of the waiver practice<\/a>, while Speaker Mike Johnson, who gets an outsize four votes in Steering matters, said he would leave the waiver debate to the panel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven’t gotten to that yet,\u201d Johnson told Blue Light News. \u201cWe’ll figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is some precedent for granting waivers.<\/p>\n

In 2022, North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx<\/a>, then the chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, successfully applied for a waiver after Republicans retook the majority after four years of Democratic control. She argued she\u2019d had only two years as chair and had more work to get done<\/a>.<\/p>\n