Rep. Rod Blum on Seniority v Meritocracy
49 views · Published 12 December 2017 · 3:12 · Indexed 21 September 2026
Channel: US Term Limits · 2017 · News & Politics
I quickly learned this is a seniority based system here on Capitol Hill rather than a meritocracy. I thought, I'm going to be on the Financial Services Committee. That's where I want to be. That's what my expertise is. Well, I quickly found out it is seniority based. It isn't based on what your qualifications are. I think if we had term limits, we wouldn't have the seniority based on them. I vote in the interest of the voters of the first district of Iowa. The system we have today stands in the way of that. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff said lobbyists despise term limits because a politician who stays in office for life is worth his weight in gold. Lobbyists don't like to have to repurchase legislators on a regular basis. They prefer to have a lifetime subscription. They want to own not rent.
