The 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution, proposed by citizen initiative in 2017, will hardly be heeded by a large sector of Congressmen and Senators who put their personal interests, prerogatives, and privileges above the good of the nation. The same can be said about the proposed draft of a Congressional Reform Act.
Serving in Congress is an honor and privilege NOT a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators should serve their term(s), then go home and go back to work … not get all kinds of freebies. I appreciate the experience incumbents may offer to legislation, but up to a point. Three terms as Senators (18 years) and eight terms as Representatives (16 years) should be the limit. That is why I recommend NOT TO VOTE for an incumbent who has served more than 18 years in the Senate and served more than 16 years in the House of Representatives. I truly don't care if they are Democrats, Republicans, Independent, or whatever.
That is why I recommend that we all fully support the proposed 28th Amendment to the Constitution & the draft Congressional Reform Act. The text of both proposals (the terms and language should be revised by competent Constitutional experts) is as follows:
Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the Citizens of the United States."
A Congressional Reform Act should be introduced as follows:
1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office. And, no more perks go with them.
2. 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. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan, just as ALL Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise in proportion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people and Insider Trading will no longer be allowed.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts by and for themselves.
Last edit: 26 Oct 2022 19:41 by Gerardo E. Martínez-Solanas.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Democracia Participativa, jose gonzalez, Roger Kimball
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