How to Fix Congress

I received the following via email and I must admit, given my absolute dissatisfaction with the way Congress has behaved for the last 50 years, I believe this has merit. My comments are in italics.


Congressional Reform Act of 2009 ( http://www.ustl.org/ )

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.

You can bet that the Social Security System would be properly fixed and in a hurry if this came into being!

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.

Were you aware that Congress has routinely exempted itself from many of the laws that they pass and which we and American businesses and schools must obey? Well they have. Sound fair to you?

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.

Very good point this one. Congress made these contracts on their retirement, pay and medical benefits for themselves by themselves. The American people weren't asked to vote on these because they probably would have said 'NO!' to the Congressmen. It's time to end these one-sided 'contracts.'

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. AMEN!