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Congressional Reform Act of 2010

Spartacus

Banned
Joined
Dec 13, 2009
Messages
1,185
Location
La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
How do you fix Congress? Pass the "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 rating 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 heroes.

**********************************

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


2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.


4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

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.

If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just ignore.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
1. I believe this has already been ruled unconstitutional. However, I favor a constitutional amendment establishing term limits. I prefer 6 in the House, 12 in the Senate as independent limits.

2. Tenure? I am not aware of this concept as it applies to Congress. As far as a pension goes, they should be transitioned into the civil service retirement system.

3. Congress should pay all the same taxes we do--including Social Security. If they do that, I don't care a whit whether they collect SS or not.

4. See #2.

5. Congress would just legislate a change in how the CPI is calculated. I suggest linking congressional pay raises to military and civil service pay raises and require a supermajority to pass such raises. Of course, that would require a constitutional amendment.

6. Congress should be offered the same health care options that civil service is--or possibly the military! Yeah, make them participate in Tri-Care. With no priority.

7. This one would be really hard to do with a blanket law/amendment. What does "subject to the same" mean? I like the concept. I just don't see how implementation would work.

8. What contracts are you talking about???
 

NRAMARINE

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
523
Location
Anywhere but here.
How do you fix Congress? Pass the "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 rating 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 heroes.

**********************************

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


2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.


4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

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.

If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just ignore.

I agree.
 

KS_to_CA

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
443
Location
National City, CA, ,
This is their source of income, power, and influence. Its like telling a doctor to limit the patient load to five a day, increase time spent with patients to a full hour, charge less, and give their service free for every five patients seen.

Not gonna happen. (Although I am hoping it will).
 

5o56x45

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2010
Messages
51
Location
CA
Repeal Of The Seventeenth Amendment

1. I believe this has already been ruled unconstitutional. However, I favor a constitutional amendment establishing term limits. I prefer 6 in the House, 12 in the Senate as independent limits.

I think that I might be in favor of repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. The governor would appoint the senators. This would prevent them from being bought by special interest. If the people are angry about a certian Senator they can give the governor hell and he would have the power to replace that senator on the spot. We wouldn't have to wait until the next election.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
The seventeenth was just one more step in trying to eliminate the Republic and replace it with a democracy. (Getting rid of the electoral college would be another.)

I'd like to see a return to Senators representing the States rather than the People. Representing the People is the function of the House.

We need to stop teaching in the schools that we are a democracy and get back to teaching that we are a Republic with Sovereign States who have ceded some specific and limited powers to a federal government.
 

Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
I think that I might be in favor of repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. The governor would appoint the senators. This would prevent them from being bought by special interest. If the people are angry about a certian Senator they can give the governor hell and he would have the power to replace that senator on the spot. We wouldn't have to wait until the next election.

um the state legislature decided the senators to represent the state, not the governor. Appointing 2 senators is too much power for one governor.
 
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