Republican Beaudry Supports Term Limits

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(Host) Term limits are an issue in Vermont’s congressional race, and the two major party candidates don’t agree on whether they’re needed. Republican Paul Beaudry says limits are needed and they’re one of his top priorities. But Democrat Peter Welch says voters are the best judge of whether a person deserves re-election.  

VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports.

(Kinzel) At his website, Republican Paul Beaudry outlines 11 principles that make up his "Pledge of Allegiance to Vermont" voters.

He wants to cut the size of the federal government, he vows to work for a national energy policy to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and he wants to ban abortion.  He also supports term limits.

Beaudry thinks members of Congress should serve no more than 12 years in Washington:

(Beaudry) "We are nervous as Americans to the point where we actually limit how long a president can be in power. I think we should also pass that on to Senators and Congressman. If you can’t get accomplished what you need to do in 12 years you’ve got some problems as far as I’m concerned."

(Kinzel) Beaudry says he also supports term limits because he says it’s too easy for long serving members of Congress to forget about the needs of their constituents:

(Beaudry) "I believe that a lot of our elected officials lose touch with what it’s like to be a common person here in Vermont and they get sold out to these Washington insiders and it’s really about serving the people serving Vermont."

(Kinzel) Incumbent Democrat Peter Welch doesn’t support term limits. He says voters are the best judge of whether or not a person should be re-elected and he says voter unrest in many states this year is a perfect example of what he means:

(Welch) "I really trust the judgment of the voters much more than I do the campaign positions of people running for office and you’re going to see in this election a number of people some who’ve been in one or two terms some who are veterans of ten or twelve terms lose their election because voters decided it’s time for a change."

(Kinzel) And Welch says it’s unfair to judge members of Congress by how much time they’ve served in Washington:

(Welch) "Some members are only there two terms and they’ve already gone Washington. Others are there 10 terms and come home very weekend and they’re really in touch their heart is in the home of their district. So it really depends and who’s best to make that decision I think it happens to be the voters."

(Kinzel) Welch is seeking his third term as Vermont’s sole member of the U.S. House.

For VPR News I’m Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.

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