1994 - REPUBLICAN CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

GOP 1994 ^

[narses]

REPUBLICAN CONTRACT WITH AMERICA

As Republican Members of the House of Representatives and as citizens seeking to join that body we propose not just to change its policies, but even more important, to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives.

That is why, in this era of official evasion and posturing, we offer instead a detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.

This year's election offers the chance, after four decades of one-party control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money. It can be the beginning of a Congress that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family.

Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act "with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." To restore accountability to Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To make us all proud again of the way free people govern themselves.

On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:

• FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;

• SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;

• THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;

• FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;

• FIFTH, ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;

• SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;

• SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;

• EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing zero base-line budgeting.

Thereafter, within the first 100 days of the 104th Congress, we shall bring to the House Floor the following bills, each to be given full and open debate, each to be given a clear and fair vote and each to be immediately available this day for public inspection and scrutiny.

1. THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out- of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses. (Bill Text) (Description)

2. THE TAKING BACK OUR STREETS ACT: An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in- sentencing, "good faith" exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer's "crime" bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools. (Bill Text) (Description)

3. THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. (Bill Text) (Description)

4. THE FAMILY REINFORCEMENT ACT: Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children's education, stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society. (Bill Text) (Description)

5. THE AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT: A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief. (Bill Text) (Description)

6. THE NATIONAL SECURITY RESTORATION ACT: No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world. (Bill Text) (Description)

7. THE SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT: Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. (Bill Text) (Description)

8. THE JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT: Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. (Bill Text) (Description)

9. THE COMMON SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT: "Loser pays" laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation. (Bill Text) (Description)

10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT: A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. (Description)

Further, we will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation described above, to ensure that the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills.

Respecting the judgment of our fellow citizens as we seek their mandate for reform, we hereby pledge our names to this Contract with America.

[ROTB]

Time for a diaper change a new party is paramount.

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Don’t make this classic mistake.

Notice the communists did not make new parties, they just took over the ones that existed.

We can take back BOTH parties.

[LoveUSA]

Conservatives never have the stomach for indecent behavior..especially when it happens in our own ranks.

If you remember, Newt’s image was tarnished by his indiscretions especially with Christian Conservatives. He was no longer thought to be beyond reproach. The media played on it bigtime and prefaced every report about Newt with a mention of his “problems”. From then on his message was lost.

[narses]

I agree.

[narses]

Nor should we. You want to be a family values candidate, then act like one. You want to swing and be a player, join with the Dems and party with them.

[VRW Conspirator]

There is no leadership in this party and I believe the republican party is dead.

I take issue with this statement, respectfully. The leadership is there and the party is far from dead.

It appears that way today.

Did you know there was such a profound leader as the Governor of Alaska, before August '08? While she is still "green" in some sense, did you not see firestorm she created? There are many others like her, btw.

Barack Hussein Obama will pave the way for a Republican reemergence.

[Earthdweller]

"Did you know there was such a profound leader as the Governor of Alaska, before August '08? While she is still "green" in some sense, did you not see firestorm she created? There are many others like her, btw."

But they will never get in office unless they kiss the proper rings. Carl Cameron (butt kisser extraordinaire on crack) is not wasting any time in painting Sarah negatively now that she is no longer in the spotlight to defend herself. Look for Romney to be hoisted upon us again.

[boomop1]

I hope you are right, I have no qualm with a resurgence of the party but it has to be genuine and forceful. We can never appear to be weak or be for that matter. There is too much at stake and so little time to act. Git R done.

[bigbob]

Carl Cameron made me wanna puke. It’s like these Fox News weenies have just been waiting for the chance to jump on Palin like their brother weenies in the MSM have been doing.

I think the Republican Party deserves ONE more chance to show they are the party to wear the mantle of Conservatism. If they fail to rise to the occasion, and I mean with words, money, leadership, and action - then it’s time to, as they say, “move on”, and launch the New Conservative Party of the USA, with Gov. Sarah Palin at the helm.

[Weirdad]

Despite having both houses of Congress, most of the contract was not really accomplished.

And after that, we got “the education president” just 6-7 years later who instead of abolishing the dept of education, expanded it more than ever despite its very existence being in violation of the tenth amendment. Great example of bait and switch, not by intent (I believe the contract with America was well intended), but by the constant flaw of our party, “being nice” to those democrats who have proven over and over again that they cannot be trusted. We’ve blew our chance to get better government that could demonstrate itself effectively to everyone, thereby increasing its chance of being perpetuated—but gosh we were sure nice!

[narses]

No it was bait-n-switch, they (the cynical leadership) never intended to pass real limits on themselves, they simply wanted the power. The freshman class, they believed, their supporters believed and many of them kept their voluntarily pledged self limits. Some (JC Watts, George Nethercutt and a few others) reneged and became objects of scorn. That together with Gingrich’s pants problem and the growing spend and spend mentality led to the GOP returning to minority status. Scum like Stevens of Alaska and Cunningham of California and Foley of Florida added to the valid charge of hypocricy.

[TradicalRC]

If I read that right, the POTUS has line-item veto power?