Sunday, June 12, 2011

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests." - Patrick Henry

The 26th amendment, which granted the right to vote for 18 year-olds, took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, before e-mail, and before cell phones.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, 7 took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011 

1. No Tenure / No Pension. 

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

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

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

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. 

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. 

The American people did not make contracts with Congressmen. Congressmen made contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned "citizen legislators", so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work...if they can find a job in the private sector. 

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS. Please e-mail this link to your representative.

2 comments:

  1. 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."

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  2. Here's a petition for the reform act:
    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/36/congressional-reform-act-of-2011/

    Here's an interesting article in the Huffington Post: The Phony "Congressional Reform Act of 2010"
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/the-phony-congressional-r_b_771808.html

    A conservative Republican forum posted this email here: (I guess BOTH sides agree that this reform act is needed):
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2656738/posts

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