U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho is leaving Congress, as he promised when he ran for office. It is a loss that highlights the problem with term limits.

Term limits for Congress is an idea that continues to be voiced whenever public frustration with Congress flares up – and that is quite often.

Yoho is term limiting himself.

He has served eight years, and has done an outstanding job.

He has no landmark legislation to his name, to my knowledge, but contrary to what professional politicians would have you believe, that is not necessarily a mark of achievement.

My vote goes to someone who goes to Congress, watches what is proposed and votes against what is bad for America.

Yoho is a veterinarian who lives in Gainesville. He stirred up a lot of notice when he ran. Former Rep. Ander Crenshaw told me people would ask him to help them get Yoho’s autograph.

The district that he represents runs from Orange Park to Ocala and High Springs to Green Cove Springs. Except for the Gainesville area, it is a conservative bloc and Yoho has represented it well.

Yoho has maintained a consistently high rating by the American Conservative Union while in Congress.

By retiring, Yoho thus avoids the experience of Tillie Fowler, who preceded Crenshaw in the district that includes Jacksonville and borders the Yoho’s Third District.

Like Yoho, she promised to serve only eight years. Her campaign slogan was “eight (years) is enough.”

 But after that time she found herself in a leadership position and said she would run again because that power would serve her constituents well.

That caused a backlash and in the end, she decided not to run for a fifth term. Crenshaw, who succeeded her, served for 16 years and retired at age 73.

While the idea of term limits to get rid of professional politicians is appealing, term limits would force all members of Congress out after eight years – no matter whether they have been good or bad for America. That, and the fact that it would cede more power to the Deep State, are reasons against term limits.