Congressional Reform

I have been hollering about the need to recycle Congress. Congress has stopped listening to the people that put them there. It's time for We the People to take control of the government that works for us! I'm not just ranting about how bad they are doing in DC, I have some ideas that would correct the problem. It's not going to be easy, it's going to be really tough but not impossible. The first thing We the People need to do is to become involved, much like the Tea Party has these past couple of years. We also need to educate ourselves, in our history and the workings of the government and the Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and all three branches of our government have slowly been subverting it, applying liberal interpretations of a document that's clearly written in plain English. We need to research these people that want to serve us and our country, find out what they are really about. We need a politically educated voting body, that's active and outspoken. Some of the most vicious political debates happened before the United States even became a country; now all you can hear are the insults and negative campaigning, not what the candidates believe in or their plans to fix anything. Make sure you are registered to vote and let your politically educated voice be heard. With all this technology it is very easy to contact your state and federally elected officials and let them know where you stand and where they need to stand to keep your support.

One of the first and most important, we must install term limits. Find candidates that support term limits and elect them and hold them accountable. The Founders envisioned a citizenry legislature, where serving was a service, not a career. There might be a few good arguments on why there should not be term limits, but those don't hold a candle to the multiple arguments supporting term limits. The longer they stay, the more out of touch they become with their home districts. They become to entrenched with the lobbyists, PAC's and fundraisers. They are corrupted. Lord Acton famously said that Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and we see that in Congress. Not only do they make Washington DC their new home but more times than not, it seems that they forget where they came from and who put them there. They make alliances with other members, not their constituents.

Another area that I feel is of the utmost importance, with regards to Congressional reform would be the election of Senators. We need to repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution. Our system of government is a representative republic, the Founders carefully instituted a government that was set up so each branch could check and balance the other. Additionally, our system is a confederation of many states and the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution clearly show that the several states created the federal government. The Founders, in their infinite wisdom, even provided for a state voice in the federal system through the bicameral Congress. They set up the House of Representatives, based on population elected by the people and the Senate based on equal state representation elected by the state legislatures. This was designed to give the states a voice in federal matters, since the states created the federal government. Each state was allowed 2 Senators, regardless of size, representing that each state was equal in the Union. Those that support the direct election of US Senators are directly against States' rights. There is no more state voice in the federal government, who's looking out for the interest of the state as a whole?

Another area in need of reform is the length of sessions. Does anyone know who long a session of Congress is? 10 months? 9 months? Congress is limited in it's powers to a very specific list of items (check previous blog for the powers) so why do they need so much time in session. We need to keep our elected officials closer to home, so they know what's important to us, the people they are representing. Take Nevada for example, our legislature meets only for about 4 months a year, the Texas legislature meets once every two years. The states have much greater responsibilities than the federal government, but they require so much more time together? Sounds corrupt to me. A government governs best when it's closer to the people. It's a shame that you can only visit your federally elected officials one or two days a year, when they decide to make themselves available to the public.

We need to take away the elitist status that Congress has bequeathed upon itself. Congress is paid an enormous amount of money per year, they have expense accounts, staff allowances, posh retirements and aren't held to the same standard as normal citizens. Members of Congress avoid paying taxes, use their status to gain favors and grant favors, they hold themselves above the laws that they create and force them upon the citizens. We need to serious cut back on the cost of Congressmen, they should be paid a stipend only when Congress is in session (and not the drawn out, bloated 10 month session) very limited expenses and staffing and that's it. They should get no pension or tenure or life time payments. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career; serve your time and go home. These elitist have their own medical insurance, separate from "the common folk" and they don't even contribute to social security. No wonder they never want to leave, who would? You have Congressmen serving into their 90's, well over the social security retirement age of 65. Congressmen are supposed to be citizens, let them act and participate like every other citizen, no special benefits, no voting themselves pay raises and other special perks.

Congressmen stand before us, asking for our vote and they are responsible for most of the problems that we face. They force banks to lower their lending standards, which in turn helps lead to the housing crisis; they force health care down our throats, against a majority opinion of the public. They stand before us claiming they want a balanced budget, or to lower taxes, create jobs, cut the deficit and it's all up to them. They play politics instead of following the Constitution, why should they worry about "the common folk" they have their cushy retirement and never have to come back and see the people they "serve".

We need to hold these elected officials accountable. Contact them, it's never been easier with a site called congress.org. Enter your zip code on the home page and it will tell you your federal and state officials. It comes complete with web forms for very easy composing and sending. I have used it several times and have always received a response. It's time for We, the People, to take back our government. It was created to protect our rights and liberties, not take from one to give to another.