Tom Wright

Ever wonder why presidents have term limits, but not Congressmen? The answer is simple; Congress made it that way. Ever wonder why the nation is in so much debt? Congress again. Rant as you will against presidents, but it is Congress that makes the laws and dictates spending. So, how do you get term limits for Congress? Amend the Constitution. Do you really think Congress is going to vote themselves out of a job?

Think of the career politicians, who have never done anything else. The first one who comes to mind is Joe Biden. How about Chuck Schumer and Chuck Grassley, the longest serving Republican. Senator Schumer served nine terms in the House, before being elected to the Senate in 1998. Nancy Pelosi raised her family, before running for office. She is the daughter of Congressman Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr, who was mayor of Baltimore, before serving in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D’Alesandro, III became mayor of Baltimore. A real political family.

Seven of the ten longest serving current politicians are Democrats.

1. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — 50 years (1975 – present)

2. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) — 48 years (1977 – present)

3. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) — 44 years (1981 – present)

4. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) — 44 years (1981 – present)

5. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY-5) — 44 years (1981 – present)

6. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4) — 44 years (1981 – present)

7. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5) — 44 years (1981 – present)

8. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) — 42 years (1983 – present)

9. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9) — 42 years (1983 – present)

10. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) — 40 years (1985 – present)

I heard Ben Ray Lujan say, “I believe in term limits, at the polls.” Senator Lujan had a job before he was inducted into politics by his powerful father. He was a card dealer in Nevada, before Speaker Lujan, gave his son a political future. Qualified? Not then. Showing her political qualifications, our CD3, House Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez recently said, “The reality is there were no open borders during Biden.” Whether she is delusional or asleep, we still elected her. CD1 Representative Gabe Vasquez continues to rant on his social media site, X, about racism and current border policy, but he has disabled comments from the public. Evidently, he does not care what his constituents think. We really must do better.

In 2023, a Pew Research Center survey showed 83% of us wanted term limits for Congress which currently has a 26% approval rating (Gallup). It is time for term limits. Despite the wishes of the electorate, Congress has declined to seriously consider amending the Constitution to term limit themselves. But those who wrote the Constitution foresaw such a circumstance where congressmen would resist the will of the people on matters calling for constitutional amendments. Article V of the US Constitution prescribes two methods of making amendments. When two thirds of both Houses of Congress propose Amendments, they may be ratified by three fourths vote by the representatives. Article V offers an alternate method of proposing Amendments, which can occur when two thirds of state legislatures (34 of 50) call for a convention of states which proposes Amendments, they can be ratified by three fourths vote (38 of 50) of the states. This method is called a Convention of States. In the 1787 Constitutional Convention, George Masson advocated successfully for this method, should the government become oppressive. It was unanimously included, but it has never been successfully used.

Every state, except Hawaii has applied to Congress for a Convention, on 700 different subjects. The two thirds threshold has come close several times and Congress has acted on these proposed Amendments, through their powers to prevent the power of legislation from getting out of their hands and into state governance.

The Convention of States process calls for Amendment proposals on specific subjects. In 1981, 30 states called for a balanced budget amendment. Term limits and campaign finance amendments have also been petitioned to Congress, but none have reached the two thirds threshold. The reason could be all proposals are directed at limiting the powers of our congressional politicians. The convention process lies more in the hands of individuals, through state legislatures and not federal.

If 83% of us want term limits, why can’t we get them? I bet a balanced budget amendment would also pass. A campaign finance amendment could eliminate dark money from special interest groups to prevent them from buying politicians. Let your state representative know they can call for a convention of states and propose amendments the federals won’t. Few understand the options available in Article V.

Tom Wright is a Santa Fe columnist and El Rito Media investor.

Missi Currier

When it comes to environmental responsibility, New Mexico’s oil and gas industry is not just stepping up—we’re leading the way.

In recent years, oil and gas operators plugged over 90% of the wells decommissioned in the state. That’s 451 wells plugged by industry, compared to just 49 plugged by the Oil Conservation Division (OCD). For every well plugged using public funds, the oil and gas industry independently plugs ten more—without fanfare, and without burdening New Mexico taxpayers.

Let’s be clear: only tax dollars paid by the oil and gas industry are used to plug orphaned wells in New Mexico. Not a single cent comes from the pockets of New Mexico families. The millions spent by OCD to plug wells came directly from the Reclamation Fund—funded entirely by industry-paid taxes.

Of the 68,516 active wells in New Mexico, approximately 34,000 are State and Fee wells. Among those, just 349 are classified as orphaned—a remarkably low orphan rate of about 1%. This is a testament to the industry’s commitment to responsible operations and long-term stewardship. However, we know that 1% is still too many, and the industry is committed to continuing our work with OCD to ensure the reduction of that number.

Yet, despite this strong track record, we face a critical challenge: ensuring that the funds dedicated to well-plugging are used for that purpose. In 2022, the Reclamation Fund held $21 million. By November 2024, that balance had grown to approximately $66 million, thanks to increased federal support and continued contributions from the Conservation Tax directly from industry.

But these funds are only effective if they’re deployed efficiently. Delays in procurement and administrative bottlenecks risk not only slowing progress but also jeopardizing future funding. New Mexico’s leadership must prioritize using these dollars as intended—on well plugging and site remediation—not diverting them to unrelated initiatives.

The oil and gas industry supports modernizing the Reclamation Fund to ensure it remains a sustainable, efficient tool for environmental protection. That means streamlining procurement, reducing administrative burdens, and preserving the fund’s integrity for its intended purpose. The oil and gas industry is proud to carry the responsibility of plugging and remediating wells. During a well’s lifetime, it provides energy for the world and contributes to our state’s economy. At the end of its cycle, the land is returned to its native state. It’s a responsibility we take seriously—and one we’re already fulfilling. Let’s work together to ensure that the systems in place support this important work, now and for generations to come.

Missi Currier President and CEO New Mexico Oil & Gas Association.

Cal Thomas

After Israel took out at least two of Iran’s top scientists behind the development of nuclear weapons (and promised to kill more), my high school fight song came to mind. At football games after a touchdown we sang, “Hit ‘em hard and hit ‘em again. Show ‘em now that we’re gonna win…”

That is precisely what Israel has done in several strikes against its mortal enemy that has threatened to exterminate the Jewish state, reneged on past agreements to curtail its enrichment of uranium and made statements about its religious motivation for attacks on Israel and support of various terrorist proxies. Why shouldn’t Israel be expected to defend itself against the stated aims of the Islamic fanatics in Tehran? If your neighbor threatened to kill you would you not take steps to keep that from happening?

The diplomatic “rope-a-dope” strategy used by Iran to string out negotiations in order to continue pursuing uranium enrichment with a nuclear weapon – its likely outcome – has worked over several U.S. administrations. It is similar to a strategy Japan used at the start of World War II where Japanese negotiators were at the White House the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. You can’t negotiate with evil, or evil wins.

Mossad, perhaps the greatest intelligence agency in the world (our CIA might take lessons), managed to penetrate deep into Iran with a drone base and other weapons which took out many, but not all, of Iran’s missile launchers. Some missiles got through and hit parts of Tel Aviv, wounding scores and killing some civilians.

President Trump has declared that if Iran doesn’t return to negotiations, it will suffer far worse attacks. That should not be the goal, because there is no evidence that Iran would behave any differently if previously failed negotiations resume.

The goal should be regime change. The current Iranian regime came to power in 1979, thanks to Jimmy Carter undermining the shah, who kept the fanatics now running and ruining the country at bay. The shah had his problems, but was pro-West. Since then, the Islamic regime has sustained itself with guns, crooked elections, by suppressing protests and jailing or killing those opposed to the ayatollahs. The Middle East – indeed the world – would be better off and a safer place if the regime were to fall. The important question is who would take their place? It can’t be a repeat of 1979 with different faces but the same objectives.

There is political opposition in Iran and we occasionally hear voices that claim support for human rights, free elections and other things appealing to Western ears. There have been street protests, which the Revolutionary Guard quickly extinguished. While additional military attacks could set back Iran’s nuclear weapons program even further, force alone is unlikely to topple the government and replace it with people who will live at peace with Israel.

In a televised address after the bombing began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to effectively overthrow their government: “Israel’s fight is not against the Iranian people. Our fight is against the murderous Islamic regime that oppresses and impoverishes you. The time has come for the Iranian people to unite around its flag and its historic legacy, by standing up for your freedom from the evil and oppressive regime. This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard.”

That would be the ideal outcome, but fear keeps many people from acting on their beliefs and goals. Overcoming fear takes courage and a willingness to sacrifice even your own life. Are there enough Iranians prepared to stand against the power and weapons of the ayatollahs?

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).