A modest proposal: Congressional Reform Act of 2010
How can our nation’s citizens re-assert control over our renegade, tyrannical Congress? How can we encourage honorable public service that does not promote a sense of entitlement in congressmen and senators and their staffs?
A friend forwarded this idea in a widely circulating email that can be found in many forums and blogs on the internet. Is this good proposal? Can it be improved?
Congressional Reform Act of 2010
The reason given to support each of these changes is, “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.”
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 moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people. ]
4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.
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 in all laws they impose on the American people.
8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/10.
[The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.]
