But in practice, lawmakers can often get around that restriction.
And unlike the administration officials and presidential advisers who want him out, these lawmakers get to vote on the matter, if it comes to that.
As the Iraq adventure shambles on, lawmakers better get to work fleshing out their rhetoric about the soldiers.
Then they wait for decisions on critical aid from Albany, where everything is put off until state lawmakers get around to it.
The result, critics say, is an obvious conflict of interest, in which incumbent lawmakers get to draw their own district lines.
No lawmaker who voted for the compromise gets any points for moderation.
As part of the balanced budget agreement, lawmakers now get to decide how to cut taxes by $135 billion over the next five years.
But at least the lawmakers got a chance to feel nice about themselves.
This is a situation that our lawmakers have gotten us into because they're in the pockets of the recording industry.
Nor would it upset emerging expectations that lawmakers and the Bush Administration can get through the year without raising taxes.