For starters repeal the 17th Amendment
Posted on 03/05/2010 9:07:30 PM PST by Art in Idaho
This is How to Fix Congress!!
A friend sent this along to me. I can't think of a reason to disagree.
I am sending this to virtually everybody on my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends. My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2010". It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I know many of you will say, "this is impossible". Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us.
We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. These people will become American Hero's..
Thanks,
A Fellow American
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Congressional Reform Act of 2010
1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six year Senate terms
B. Six Two year House terms
C. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
2. No Tenure / No Pension:
A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.
Well, What do you think? Sounds like a Great Idea to me! Whomever proposes this Bill can run for President some day. It's one of the most innovative ideas to bring back a semblance of our former great Republic I've heard of in a long time. It's a Great Start! If they won't do it, then it's one of the first things that should change after the Revolution. . .
Has a nice ring to it. Would be a great October surprise!
The problem is you cant FIX stupid.And there is only one fix for treason.
As it has a ring of COMMON SENSE... it will never work in CONGRESS.
“How to Fix Congress”
With a rusty set of gelding irons - without anesthetic.
silly me ....I thought that this was going to be an instructional manual on castration....
Now those would be fixes they would never vote for! : )
For starters repeal the 17th Amendment
**Now those would be fixes they would never vote for! : ) **
No ...but .... WE WOULD!!!!!
It would be nice to attach to healthcare bill.
7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people.
Reword that: Congress cannot exclude themselves from any law they impose on the American people.
Good points. Thanks!
No ...but .... WE WOULD!!!!!
That we would!
I think I would enjoy hearing the howls or protest when they feel what taxpayers feel when the retroactively change tax law.
There needs to be a provision in there prohibiting lobbying by former legislators. Or is that there already and they just ignore it?
Anyone holding Elective Office & running for re-election must run as a “write-in candidate” in either the Primary or the General Election.
ANY Incumbent should be willing to surrender the un-fair “Name Recognition Advantage” for either the Primary or the General.
Congressional Junketing Budgets MUST move INVERSELY with the National Debt. No Congress may increase the National Debt without cutting the Junket Funding by {at least}the same Percentage!
They'd need balls to do that.+
I think you are too generous with the congressional terms
How about ... Senate 3 terms of 4 years.... so we can make a change sooner if needed.
House.... no more elections.... Now selected by lottery
From “regular” eligible citizens in each congressional district, who would like to serve... Housing furnished in DC... $100,000 per year for each year of their 3 year term .... and then $100,000 when they leave DC to return to the private workforce.. with the condition that they do not become a lobbyist.
1/3 of the House changing each year.
I think that we should formulate this into an amendment to be submitted to every state of the union........ to then be submitted by them in the constitutional manner.
As an after thought... maybe lawyers should be excluded from serving in the House.
A more complete list: http://pushbackuntil.com
Legislation like disaster relief funds would obviously flow funds only to states with disasters, but the formula determining what qualifies as a disaster should be equal for all states.
10. Neither matching funds or grants to states can be used to twist states to adopt federal programs. Existing programs making use of matching funds will be phased out in 4 years, during which time, either an amendment to give Federal authority for the program will have to be passed, or the program will have to be disbanded at the federal level.
11. All programs funded by Federal dollars shall be federal programs not state programs, and Federal legislation can only fund those items enumerated in the constitution, unless amendments are passed to grant authority.
12. No congressman, president, or federal policy making official shall be allowed to have any holdings of energy, pharmaceutical, or medical companies including holdings in blind trusts, or shall recuse themselves from all votes affecting those industries.
13. Any federal takeovers of private financial institutions or industrial or commercial firms must be returned to private ownership within 4 years. And further, the stock of such institutions may not be sold to companies or investors at sweetheart deals, but must be auctioned in a public market, or distributed to the public.
14. Clear guidelines should exist that limit government takeovers/bailout of non-banking firms to firms that directly impact at least 1% of the economy.
With a dull deer antler.
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