Maneuvering to stave off a defeat, House Republican leaders said Wednesday they would delay a vote on a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress.

Term limits command strong support in public polling, but the idea is resisted by many senior lawmakers of both parties. Opponents say it would rob Congress of needed experience and transfer power to unelected bureaucrats.

Private vote counts have shown supporters of the term limits number roughly 230 in the House - with some members of the Republican leadership and committee chairman among the opponents. That’s 60 votes or so shy of the two-thirds majority needed to assure passage of a constitutional amendment.