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.
I won't hold my breath on either party putting forth this legislation for a vote though.
H/T: Carrie
2 comments:
I'm actually okay with some of those ideas. I oppose term limits unless a Constitutional Amendment makes it law. As it stands now, the Founders didn't put it in the Const., so I have to assume they didn't want it there. But, I wouldn't necessarily oppose an amendment strategy.
I'd agree to no pension plan for Congress. Considering how many times they have looked the other way while corporate pension funds were illegally raided and they did nothing, I don't believe they deserve a pension.
A fixed cost of living increase is an ok idea, as opposed to allowing them to vote for a raise. It took them 10 years to raise the minimum wage, yet it takes about 30 seconds to raise their own pay.
Same goes for their health care. Perhaps if they didn't have such an amazing set up, they would see how horrible the system is for everyone else. Maybe they'd even consider the only real solution to the health care problem and do single payer.
Not sure I understand what the voiding contracts things is about.
I'd add one more rule. No individual member is allowed to chair a committee for more than 2 years.
I like your idea on chairing of a committee being limited to two years. That also would cut down on potential corruption.
I also agree that a constitutional amendment for term limits is probably required for legality purposes.
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